Bad news for Spurs? Winners & losers of Man Utd sacking Mourinho

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It’s official: Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Manchester United.

The Portuguese manager’s two-and-a-half year reign is over following Sunday’s limp defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

Mourinho won the EFL Cup and the Europa League in his first season at Old Trafford but failed to follow up that success with any silverware in his second campaign.

A disastrous start to the 2018/19 season – in which Man United have lost five of their 17 Premier League games, winning just seven – saw Mourinho lose his job on Tuesday morning.

So, who is set to benefit from Mourinho’s departure? And who will feel the negative effects of his absence in the dugout?

Here are four winners and four losers.

Winner: Paul Pogba

There is no doubting Paul Pogba’s talent, but his return to Manchester United hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far.

His situation has come to a head this season with Mourinho publicly criticising the Frenchman on more than one occasion and leaving him out of the team for important games.

Pogba didn’t make it off the bench against Liverpool on Sunday, and his strained relationship with Mourinho surely contributed to the manager’s sacking – one only has to look at Pogba’s deleted Instagram post shortly after the club’s announcement for confirmation all was not well.

With Mourinho out of the picture, Pogba has the opportunity for a fresh start. Whoever comes in must make him the focal point or risk losing him.

That works for Pogba either way. The 25-year-old will either improve and become a star for Manchester United again, or he will eventually move on, probably to another huge club.

Loser: Jose Mourinho

The obvious one. Mourinho’s sacking – almost exactly three years after his departure from Chelsea – is another nail in the once-great manager’s career coffin.

The 55-year-old was considered one of the world’s best coaches not so long ago, but that reputation has steadily dispersed in recent years.

After winning the treble with Inter Milan, Mourinho was on top of the world; he could essentially take his pick from any job. He chose to lead Real Madrid to La Liga glory before returning the Chelsea.

That’s when the cracks truly started appearing. After an inevitable Premier League title win, things went sour again at Stamford Bridge. Manchester United eventually came calling, but his stature has never quite returned to what it once was.

The question is: where will Mourinho end up next? Does he have one more big job in him? Or is his career among Europe’s elite clubs finally over?

Winner: Young players

Mourinho has answered many of his critics by putting an unexpected amount of faith in youth at Manchester United.

However, that’s not to say he has managed his young players well. Marcus Rashford, 21, and Anthony Martial, 23, are among the most talented young players in the country, but their careers have stalled somewhat under Mourinho.

There have been glimpses of what both players have the potential to achieve at times over the last two-and-a-half years, but Rashford and Martial arguably would have been flourishing under a more suitable manager.

Indeed, Mourinho struggled to get the best out of any inside-forward during his time at the club. It’s unclear whether Alexis Sanchez’s troubles have been a result of mismanagement or his own struggles.

With young players like Rashford and Martial, though, there is a feeling the right coach – someone to give them the freedom and confidence they need – could help them to become Manchester United icons.

What’s more, we might see the likes of Eric Bailly, Andreas Perreira and maybe even teenager Mason Greenwood blossom under a new manager.

Loser: The rest of the ‘big six’

Manchester United are now 19 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. It’s safe to say the rest of the ‘big six’ were content with Mourinho staying put.

That all changes now. There is no guarantee United’s interim appointment will begin to instantly pick up points, but whoever it is could swiftly upturn the downward spiral the club is currently in.

It would take more than a miracle for United to catch up with title challengers, but the teams fighting for the final Champions League spot might be slightly anxious about a potential improvement at Old Trafford.

While it felt like the Red Devils were slipping further and further away from the top four under Mourinho, a new manager may make them challengers again.

Winner: Out-of-work managers

United are set to hire a caretaker manager until the end of the season, but next summer there will be a vacancy at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Taking over at Old Trafford is certain to appeal to some of the high-profile coaches currently out of work. Zinedine Zidane and Antonio Conte are at the top of that list, having failed to find jobs after leaving Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively in the summer.

United might also target managers who are currently employed, including a candidate they will almost certainly be considering, Mauricio Pochettino – read further down for more on that.

But they won’t have to pay compensation for Zidane or Conte, who will surely be pushing for a return to a huge club after tasting success at Madrid and Chelsea.

Loser: Ed Woodward

United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, has been in charge of every appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement at the end of the 2012/13 season.

It’s fair to say – while there has been intermittent silverware – none of those appointments have been hugely successful. David Moyes was a disaster, Louis van Gaal was chaotically inconsistent and Mourinho flattered to deceive.

If that wasn’t damning enough, Woodward was also responsible for handing Mourinho a new contract back in January.

In the aftermath’s of Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool, Gary Neville told Sky Sports: “The [United] boardroom is so naive it’s unbelievable, to give him an extended contract knowing the cycle of Mourinho and his three years. The third year is always the difficult year for him.

“So 18 months in, with United second in the league having won two trophies in his first season, that was the point where the board had to hold their nerve and keep him hungry in that third season. The minute he came back from pre-season he was at it, and the club lost control.”

Woodward certainly has a lot to answer for. He must get the next appointment right.

Winner: Man United fans

It’s worth mentioning Manchester United fans won’t be happy with the hectic state their club is currently in. The Red Devils’ position in the table isn’t exactly healthy.

That said, judging by the responses to Mourinho’s sacking on Twitter, most United supporters are glad to see a change being made.

Even some of those who appreciated Mourinho’s contribution believed it was time for him to go.

Loser: Tottenham

Whenever talk of Mourinho’s future has come up in recent months, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has been mentioned as a potential replacement. That speculation is certain to arise again now.

Gary Neville has talked up the Argentinian’s credentials, and it would make sense for United to go for a coach praised for his ability to build a team from the ground up rather than someone with a proven trophy track record.

There are obvious concerns about Pochettino’s lack of silverware at Spurs, but there is an argument to be made that he would have lifted a trophy already with a little bit more investment – that’s what he’ll get at Old Trafford.

Tottenham must be worried. Pochettino was heavily linked with the Real Madrid job when Zidane unexpectedly resigned in the summer, but he had just signed a new contract. Will he be tempted to up sticks just a year into that deal?

United won’t hire a new long-term boss until the end of the season, so Spurs are in no immediate danger. However, they will have a job on their hands convincing Pochettino to stay next summer if they can’t back him financially.

Their only hope might be the out-of-work candidates mentioned above proving more appealing to United.

The post Winners & losers as Man Utd sack Jose Mourinho appeared first on Squawka News.



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