Louis van Gaal’s troubles at Manchester United in his two-year stint seem to have no influence what so ever on the new manager at Old Trafford. Jose Mourinho, who himself was sacked at Chelsea halfway through the previous season, was given the responsibility to lift the Manchester United side back to the top of the table, a place that has become estranged since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era. The Portuguese manager is known for getting things done in his own way and will need particular personnel at particular positions in the squad to get the best out of the team as a whole and will surely be aided by the management at the club with all the financial help he needs.
These resources that Mourinho has at his disposal should be spent wisely and so far, the manager has excelled in his business transactions in the transfer window. Since the start of the summer, Manchester United have welcomed Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly three stars at three different positions in the field. They are also set to complete a world record signing of French starlet Paul Pogba in the coming days which will add more mettle to his midfield. For any team in Europe bringing in 4-names of such caliber to a club in less than a month is a dream but Mourinho has managed to do so (when Pogba signs) in his first year at arguably the biggest club in England.
If and when Pogba’s deal is done, United will have spent a massive amount on incoming transfers and though they will let go of certain players, their transfer business will be close to complete. Louis van Gaal has provided Mourinho with a decent squad which has enough depth in it to compete even in Europe. Manchester United will entertain the Europa League this season after a 5th placed finish and will be expected to also compete for all the three domestic competitions.
Mourinho will want all the depth he can get for the next season but at the moment, the squad at Old Trafford looks a formidable one. Defense is a position where the squad is slightly weak and there have been rumors linking the club with a few central defenders recently. The likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Daley Blind were impressive at times and Mourinho will be hoping that they step up their game in the next season. The manager, however, has considerable options in midfield and attack and has a range of players to select from.
Mourinho’s new signings bring with them a sense of balance to the squad. All the 4 players who are making the move will be playing in 4 different positions and will be expected to start most games. The Portuguese genius has a blueprint of what he wants next season and has dealt with his transfer business accordingly. He has accumulated a strong, star-studded squad, with enough experience in key areas but he has also been able to find some place for young players who can surprise the opponents when given the chance.
As already mentioned, United look a far more balanced outfit from the previous season and they also have a better cover for injuries ( the lack of which cost LVG his job) which shows that Mourinho has already started shaping up ‘his’ squad at Old Trafford. The manager may not be able to get the players to play sizzling football next season but he will surely get the results that bring glory days back to the club and he has taken a big step towards it with his immaculate summer signings. Do you think Mourinho needs to shop in the transfer window for more additions after Pogba?
