It is hard to believe that the man flouncing around Old Trafford is the same person who epitomised cool as Chelsea strolled to the Premier League title in 2015. Angrily jittering up and down the touchline like the dad who cares a little bit too much about his kid’s under-11s match, Jose Mourinho does not look like a winner.
In fact, he looks utterly bereft. Whinging and screaming to no-one in particular, his dramatic decline is beginning to look like a Shakespearian tragedy. Mourinho’s once impressive siege-mentality shtick is now his fatal flaw; the self-obsession and single-mindedness that glued his teams together now spiralling out of control and sucking him into a vortex of his own making.
An angst-ridden hatred of the unfairness of everything is clearly distorting his perception of reality, blinding the Special One from the realisation that everyone else – the fans, media, and players – are permanently arrested in that weary, disillusioned third-season-stage. Mourinho’s powers have turned on him.
Or at least that’s how it looks at the moment. But football is constantly shifting and our hyperbolic, reactionary views need correcting at every turn. With just a couple of victories the media will happily reverse their opinions as the old Mourinho – that swaggering genius, firing off knowing winks and sarcastic smiles to journalists cooing over his every word – returns triumphantly. This is only the beginning of a big rebuilding project at Manchester United. There is plenty of time to bring success back to Old Trafford.
Tactically, Mourinho’s ever-changing team-sheet suggests he is still keen to evolve and adapt, but so far his ideas have rarely worked. However, there have been brief sparks of quality and if we sift through the mess we can see the foundations of a good team emerging.
Here are five suggestions that could help Mourinho turn United around.
1) Dramatically alter the formation
Mourinho has regularly varied his midfield this season but has failed to move away from a basic 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 shape – until the second half against Burnley last weekend. He shifted Marcus Rashford up front and played Zlatan Ibrahimovic just behind him in a 4-4-2 formation that got the best out of both players. With Ibrahimovic looking considerably more effective in a deeper, more meaningful role and Rashford troubling defenders from the centre of the pitch, they could forge an effective strike partnership this season.
A variation of the narrow 3-4-2-1 used by Man City, Chelsea, and West Ham could work wonders. United’s shaky defence would be solidified by the addition of a third centre-back while allowing Rashford and Ibrahimovic to work together up front. Furthermore, United could still maintain control of central midfield – and with Paul Pogba, as part of a flat three, in his best position.
It would also free up a second spot on the wing, where Mourinho has plenty of untested options…
2) Give Mkhitaryan or Depay a chance
In his search for a best eleven Mourinho has involved more players than usual, with only one outfield player – Ibrahimovic – starting all ten league games. However, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Memphis Depay have been almost completely ignored, which is quite remarkable given their reputations and suitability to Mourinho’s high tempo counter-attacking tactics.
Mkhitaryan was the stand-out performer in the Bundesliga last season, a division famed for explosive football that mirrors the power-based preferences of Man Utd’s new head coach. The Armenian’s absence is utterly bizarre; he contributed 11 goals and 15 assists for Dortmund in 2015/16 and yet cannot get a place on the wing ahead of a 19-year-old striker.
Depay is similarly explosive and was similarly successful before his move to Old Trafford. Granted, the 22-year-old struggled across 29 appearances last campaign but Louis van Gaal’s achingly slow, static football does not suit Depay’s attributes. He has only played 20 minutes of league football so far this season.
Both players are particularly adept at taking on full-backs and swinging crosses into the box, which would represent a simplified tactical option for a team struggling with low confidence. Some old-fashioned wing play should get the best out of Ibrahimovic’s aerial ability and kick-start a title challenge.
3) Keep Mata and Lingard in the first 11 at all costs
Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard have been the two outstanding performers for United this season yet have played just 851 minutes out of a possible 1800 in the Premier League. They need to play – together – week in week out if United are to build some momentum in attack.
The movement and creativity of both players is exceptional. Regardless of their base position, they bunch up in central areas and constantly shift into space between the lines, providing the short-passing option over and over again for their team-mates. United have not lost a single league game that Mata has started and the club are undefeated at Old Trafford when Lingard is on the pitch.
In a 3-4-2-1 formation similar to Man City’s and Chelsea’s, United could even field both players in central attacking midfield, which would allow them to renege on defensive duties and buzz around Ibrahimovic (like Pedro and Eden Hazard) while freeing up space on the flanks for Mhitaryan and/or Depay. This is a good secondary option for when Rashford needs a rest.
4) Drop Fellaini and bring back Schneiderlin
Another unexplained absentee is French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, who has only played five minutes of league football so far. This is particularly inexcusable given that Marouane Fellaini has been very poor in recent weeks.
If Mourinho continues with a 4-2-3-1, then Ander Herrera needs a partner with greater positional intelligence than Fellaini – who is often found drifting aimlessly up front. Schneiderlin has the sort of composure on the ball and defensive strength that United have been crying out for this season; his exclusion is a mystery.
5) Don’t be afraid to rest Pogba and Rashford
Pogba has not missed a single minute of Premier League action since he became available for selection in late August, despite being one of the most inconsistent players in the team. He needs time to adapt to the English game, but he could surely do with being taken out of the firing line until United’s form improves.
The Frenchman has shown a tendency to abandon his post too frequently, dipping in and out of matches instead of controlling them. The only notable exception was in the 4-0 thrashing of Leicester City, whose four man midfield allowed Pogba to make his favoured incisive vertical movements. Until his team-mates start dominating territory consistently, the 22-year-old needs a break.
Rashford is another player that has been overused and risks becoming burnt out. It is rarely wise to play a youngster to exhaustion, and with so many other options Mourinho should let Rashford sit out the occasional match.
Suggested line-ups for upcoming games:
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Culled from: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/five-things-mourinho-should-do-to-turn-man-utd-152451111.html
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