Earlier today, Manchester United announced in a statement on its website that the club has parted ways with its manager, José Mourinho, who was in his third year in charge of the English club.
Following a 3-1 defeat this Sunday against Liverpool, their eternal rivals in England, the club announced the sack. It seemed like the knockout blow to Mourinho’s already-sinking boat.
The club’s statement read,
“Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect.”
“The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future”, it added.
This doesn’t come out of the blue, as Manchester United’s struggles have been apparent this season. With 5 defeats and 5 draws in just 17 games in the Premier League, it wasn’t going very well for United this season. The current run of form in the league is poor, with just one win in the last six games.
They are currently placed 6th in the Premier League table, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool, and 11 points behind 4th-placed Chelsea. The chances of getting a top four finish, let alone the title, look bleak already.
Keeping this in mind, the sack looks justified to many. Forget their position, the style of play and the way Mourinho was managing the dressing room had turned the fans against the manager.
However, I feel the timing of the sack could’ve been better. Here’s why:
Why The Timing Could Have Been Better
December is the most entertaining period of football for the fans. With games all stacked up, December becomes the most dreaded period for players and managers at the same time. With virtually a game in every 3 days, it sucks the life out of them.
Manchester United is in tatters at the moment. With almost the whole of the backline injured, it is no surprise that the club’s defense is suffering. And it isn’t just the backline that is injured.
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Alexis Sánchez is out with hamstring, and so is Anthony Martial. With so many players out injured, the team is bound to pay the price for it. Should the manager pay the price for it? Well, Mourinho does seem to be doing that.
However, keeping in mind that this time of the year is the busiest in England, I feel the timing of the sack could’ve been better. When your team is already unstable, with players out injured and the team suffering, sacking the manger could do more harm than good.
New Manager Does Not Guarantee Anything
A new manager cannot make all the injured players fit again. Yes, he may bring some desperately needed positive energy in the dressing room, but that comes at the cost of burdening the new manager with managing multiple games in a quick span.
Even the most stable clubs struggle during this period in England, let alone a club that is already struggling. At least Mourinho had the experience of managing his team during this period multiple times.
Surprisingly enough, the club is having a contrasting fortune in Europe, having qualified for the round of 16 in a group that had the likes of Juventus and Valencia. Defeating Juventus in Turin this season is a feat that any team would be proud of, and Mourinho’s United did exactly that.
Should their executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, who handles the situation of the manager at Manchester United, have waited for this period to pass before pulling the trigger on Mourinho? I do think so.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Guardian, Telegraph, Sky Sports + more
Find the blogger at @manas_ED
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