After two-and-a-half years and over £400m spent Manchester United have finally wielded the axe and relieved Jose Mourinho of his managerial duties.
The Portuguese was a highly polarising figure in the north-west but his dismissal has come as no surprise to the football world; it seemed almost inevitable that Mourinho would part company after a tortuous few months at Old Trafford.
His tenure was often marred by off-field disagreements between players and board members, notably his abrasive relationship with Paul Pogba, and less than cordial relationship with chief executive Ed Woodward.
But one thing that never seemed to stand in Mourinho’s way was the chequebook; this is a manager who was never hamstrung by the balance sheets at Old Trafford, indicative of his recruitment of 11 players.
With that in mind, how did every Man Utd signing made by Mourinho grade in relation to price paid, impact made, and the potential they still have for Mourinho’s successor?
Eric Bailly
When did he sign? 6 June 2016
How much? £30m
Games under Mourinho? 66
The first signing of the Jose Mourinho era, Bailly joined from Villarreal but has largely seen his United career hampered by persistent injury problems. That said, he played a chief role in the club’s Europa League win, and still has all the capabilities of becoming a mainstay in the XI for years to come.
Grade: C-
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
When did he sign? 1 July 2016
How much? Free transfer
Games under Mourinho? 53
Ibrahimovic was involved in 37 goals across 46 games for Man Utd during the 2016/17 season (28 goals, 9 assists), which is a pretty sensational return considering he was 35 years old at the time, and also a free transfer – this was one of the few success stories of the Mourinho reign.
Grade: A
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
When did he sign? 6 July 2016
How much? £30m
Games under Mourinho? 63
Mkhitaryan was one of the fulcrums of United’s incredible Europa League triumph during Mourinho’s maiden campaign at the helm, but his Premier League form never really hit the heights of his insatiable Borussia Dortmund reputation, resulting in an eventual departure from the club just 18 months later.
Grade: C-
Paul Pogba
When did he sign? 9 August 2016
How much? £89m
Games under Mourinho? 108
Pogba has failed to live up to the insanely high expectation on his shoulders during his time at Old Trafford, but the Frenchman has still been involved in more goals under Mourinho than any other player (20 goals, 22 assists); he was also instrumental as United clinched a double in 2016/17 – including being awarded the Europa League Player of the Season accolade – and played a crucial role as the club finished runners-up in the league last term.
Man Utd under Mourinho:
Most mins played (outfield): Paul Pogba
Most assists: Paul Pogba
Most chances created: Paul Pogba
Most successful passes: Paul Pogba
Most successful dribbles: Paul Pogba
Most shots against woodwork: Paul Pogba— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) December 18, 2018
Granted he has been pretty woeful this season, but there is no hiding away from his past achievements with the club, and he could yet prove invaluable in the coming years, dependent upon his on-field attitude.
Grade: B-
Victor Lindelof
When did he sign? 1 July 2017
How much? £31m
Games under Mourinho? 45
A tentative debut season has since been followed up by a string of promising displays this campaign, which very well COULD have been enough to keep Mourinho in job a little longer were it not for a hamstring tear. Either way, Lindelof looks like he has finally acclimatised to the Premier League and could yet be a real force at the back, though the jury is still out for a lot of United fans.
Grade: C
Romelu Lukaku
When did he sign? 10 July 2017
How much? £75m
Games under Mourinho? 73
The Belgian found the back of the net on 27 occasions last term, which was not a bad return by any stretch of the imagination, but this season Lukaku has been quite unavailing in front of goal, and his overall gameplay has been equally underwhelming – not what you would expect from a £75m striker. However, there can be no denying his brilliant inaugural season, and the potential he still holds.
Grade: B-
Nemanja Matic
When did he sign? 31 July 2017
How much? £40m
Games under Mourinho? 69
One of the finest defensive midfielders over the years, Matic looked a real coup when United managed to prise him away from Stamford Bridge, and he was impenetrable as the club finished second-place last season, but the anchorman has looked a shadow of his former self this campaign, producing a number of really wishy-washy displays.
Grade: C
Alexis Sanchez
When did he sign? 22 January 2018
How much? Swap deal (Henrikh Mkhitaryan)
Games under Mourinho? 30
Sanchez has been a disaster since relocating to Old Trafford, severely struggling to rediscover his Arsenal form and dictate games the way he used to in north London; at 30-years-old, injury hit and on astronomical wages, this will surely go down as one of the worst transfers in United’s recent history.
Grade: E
Diogo Dalot
When did he sign? 1 July 2018
How much? £19m
Games under Mourinho? 6
At 19 Dalot looks a shrewd piece of business and has been unfortunate with injury problems since signing from Porto over the summer, but having come into the fold in recent weeks, the teenage tyro looks promising and a potential star-in-the-making, though he is by no means the finished article.
Grade: C
Fred
When did he sign? 1 July 2018
How much? £47m
Games under Mourinho? 11
For the price paid, Mourinho would have been hoping for a more authoritative figure in the middle of the park, unfortunately for the Portuguese tactician, Fred has looked ponderous and rather laborious in midfield – not what you would expect from a player reportedly courted by Pep Guardiola in the past.
Grade: D
Lee Grant
When did he sign? 3 July 2018
How much? £1.5m
Games under Mourinho? 1
Brought in as back-up with no genuine hope of supplanting David de Gea between the sticks, the former Stoke shot-stopper has played one game to date, and no-one would be surprised if that is all he manages.
Grade: C-
The post Grading every Man Utd signing made by Jose Mourinho appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka NewsSquawka News https://ift.tt/2BrirX6
No comments:
Post a Comment