COMMENT: Okay, so the headline is a little over the top. But Jose Mourinho left fans in no doubt last Friday: he and Manchester United are open for business.
Across town, the Blue half of Manchester are still waiting for formal confirmation of Pep Guardiola’s contract. We’ve known for months the Spaniard will be in charge at Manchester City next season. But in terms of direct contact with the City support, it’s been crickets. There’s been no gesture, no hint of Guardiola wanting to launch his relationship with City fans.
In contrast, Mourinho was at his best last Friday, despite the limitations he was working with.
Need to know why Mourinho, for all the barbs spat at him from the press, remains a favourite with Chelsea fans? Just look at the image he projected.
Shorn of the opportunity of a full press conference and signing ceremony, he still didn’t let the opportunity go to waste. There he was, in a suit and collar, speaking to MUTV, the club’s in-house TV channel. It wasn’t the club’s suit, but it was near enough. Mourinho knew what he was doing. It could’ve been Fergie or Sir Matt in that suit. While Jurgen Klopp introduced himself to Liverpool fans (and the world’s media) in an open collar, looking like he’d just walked off some Caribbean beach, Mourinho made sure he looked the part. He was embracing it.
Across town, when he and City finally get around to announcing their union, you won’t see Guardiola ditch his waistcoat and cardigan for a City suit.
For Mourinho, the message to fans was clear: the job starts now.
And while we’ll have to wait another month – at the least – for Mourinho’s first formal media conference, he still found a way in that first 24 hours to reach out to his new supporters. A clean, new Instagram account of Mourinho’s has been established. And it has just the two posts. The first, the manager’s ‘service contract’ with Manchester United. The second, even more telling, a red binder with United letter paper and the caption ‘back to work’. Again, he’s left fans in no doubt. They can be assured. There’ll be no lull. No summer break. He wants the fans – and his new players – to know, he and United are open for business.
And that first piece of business could happen this week. After it all went quiet for seven days, the agents and intermediaries are back online. Something is brewing at United. There is a real, genuine belief that Mourinho will welcome a first signing as United manager this week. To be done before he walks out in front of the Old Trafford crowd for Saturday’s Soccer Aid match.
Some sources claim the deal in question will be the announcement of Marcus Rashford’s new contract. But Mourinho – and Jorge Mendes – are thinking bigger.
The Rashford deal has been announced in the recent days. Ed Woodward, the club’s vice-chairman exec, is eager to keep the goodwill flowing. But he will also have been presented this weekend with several potential deals by Mendes. And there’s the prospect of the work done on bringing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in from PSG now coming to its conclusion. It’s going to be a massive day this weekend at Old Trafford. Mourinho and United have made sure of that. And to announce a first signing as part of an address to his new home crowd, it’s an opportunity made for the Special One.
But what of the players? How should they take the suited and booted Mou? Well, it should be obvious, particularly for Memphis Depay and Phil Jones.
The manager’s message is: it’s time to get to work. And Jones and Memphis should be bright enough to heed the call. Take a leaf out of the career books of Phil Bardsley and Stephen Ireland. Dump any plans of an extended summer break and hit the gym. Make sure you’re weeks ahead in your preparation before your first preseason under the new manager kicks off.
This summer will be no gradual transition. Mourinho has told Woodward they’re capable of winning the Premier League next season – if he’s granted the signings he wants. There’ll be no time for passengers. If the likes of Jones and Memphis want to be part of this new era, they need to go the extra mile. The suit and collar wasn’t just for the fans, it was a memo also to the players:
“I think what the fans are expecting me to say is that I want to win. I think what the players need to listen (to) is I want to win…”
No need to read between lines. If you’re not at the Euros, there’s no excuse. Ibiza and those gold bottles of champagne can wait. As the new boss has stated, the past three years never existed. What helped get you by then, doesn’t work now.
Mourinho, on his first day as Manchester United manager, gave us his best impression of Sir Alex Ferguson. Its official: the bus is back:
“The ones who are still here cannot slacken. Manchester United is like a bus, we’re going to the next stop and if anybody is left behind it is their own fault.”
The new gaffer couldn’t have said it better himself.
Contributed by Chris Beattie of TribalFootball.com