Is Jose Mourinho’s days at Old Trafford numbered? Reports suggest that the Portuguese tactician is unsettled at the club and is spending fewer and fewer days in Manchester.
His wife, Matilde and his children no longer reside in the United Kingdom and Mourinho chooses to stay in a hotel in North London rather than owning a private apartment.
This is a concern for the club board and the fans of United who expected to see results from the man in charge. Mourinho was given a war chest ahead of the season to buy the talents that he wanted. But he is still demanding more and this might come as a problem to Ed Woodward.
After a heavy investment from the transfer windows, the Red Devils are still failing to match the strides of their Noisy Neighbours who have surged ahead with a 15 point lead in the league table.
United started off the season on a high note and looked like they were going to make a huge leap from their 6th spot finish last season. They definitely have improved remarkably but are still uncertain about winning silverware. Their Champions League campaign has been promising this season and have won themselves a favourable fixture against Sevilla in the round of 16.
Even though it’s not the worst record for a title-winning club, it might be suspected that Jose Mourinho’s famous third season syndrome might have arrived sooner than expected.
The former Real Madrid manager’s work ethic cannot be questioned and neither his commitment. Agreed that his heart might still be with the North London rivals, Chelsea but he has never sacrificed his efforts while managing United.
With rumours of a replacement fast rising among the club ranks here are a few names the club might consider.
Zinedine Zidane
The decorated former French midfielder took over as manager of Real Madrid right after the exit of Carlo Ancelotti. Zidane has well delivered on his promise with 2 consecutive Champions League trophies, 1 LaLiga title and 1 Supercopa De Espana. His achievements have brought him great praise and pomp from fans and pundits alike.
But everybody is well aware of the standards the club board of Real Madrid deploy. If you fail to win silverware every season it is highly likely that you will be sacked.
With Real Madrid currently struggling at the 4th spot of the league table, it is fair to say that the fatigue of two high performing season has taken over and all blame might fall on Zidane.
If he ends up leaving the Santiago Bernabeu after this season, he should be a prime candidate to take up the managerial position at Manchester.
Sean Dyche
Burnley has been a revelation this season with their eyes set on the European qualification spot of the Premier League. Dyche’s style of play demands discipline and excellence from all his players and this has paid off ten folds in recent times. With its limited resources, the club has been performing exceedingly well. Now, if they do finish the season in the 5th spot over the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Leicester City, a man of Dyche’s calibre is well deserving of a promotion to an elite side.
Carlo Ancelotti
The Italian tactician was sacked by Bayern Munich after just one season with the German outfit. However, he is still a proven mastermind in Europe has managed his way through trophies with almost every elite side he has managed. His ambitions line up perfectly with that of the fans at Old Trafford and will be warmly welcomed into the stadium if appointed.
