An incredible comeback against Newcastle United at Old Trafford does not hide the ongoing crisis at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho whose future as the Red Devils boss is in a highly precarious state if reports from several sources are believed to be true. The Portuguese tactician seems to have lost his way in the title challenge after a dreadful window failing to tie down several prime transfer targets.
The runners-up from last season have failed to match the standards so far set by Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal in these early weeks and might require a long-term solution over instant success to resolve the current mess at the Theatre of Dreams.
Managerial alterations have not worked out in the post-Fergie era, yet the egress of Mourinho might benefit the Red Devils in the long run. There might be confusions over his potential successor. However, the availability of Leonardo Jardim must be explored following his dismissal as Monaco boss.
The Ligue 1 heavyweights, labelled as a ‘selling club’, enjoyed an astounding amount of success despite Paris Saint-Germain’s superiority in French football and went on to win the league title last year due to Jardim’s sheer excellence from the sidelines. The 44-year-old Portuguese should not be blamed for Monaco’s recent struggles as they lack the quality to compete for the silverware after failing to replace their star performers who were offloaded elsewhere.
Jardim, meanwhile, won’t be having a similar concern in Manchester who have the financial supremacy to rope in the names they wish to have in their ranks. He would rather spend the cash more wisely if backed by the board and nurture the talents more sensibly, unlike recent years. It might take time to implement his philosophy, but his 22 years of experience in management while emerging through lower divisions make him one of the most esteemed names of modern football.
Manchester United have often been a subject to criticism for lack of artistry in attack and ‘park the bus’ strategy under Mourinho – something that needs to be sorted out at the earliest before this famous football club loses the identity and prestige earned by iconic Sir Alex Ferguson through years of diligence and devotion.
Jardim is known for injecting superlative counter-attacking tactics, also switching to deep defensive state from an attacking mode and vice versa within seconds. Usually, this is used to baffle the opponents to understand the gameplan at the start of the match. All these nevertheless will take time to execute but should upgrade the Devils from their calamitous run of late.
