YOU CAN’T CATCH JOSE WHEN HE’S AHEAD

MANCHESTER UNITED’S get-ahead start has had historians looking back to 1907. The dates that should concern United’s rivals, however, are considerably more recent — 2014-15 and 2005-06. The years of the last two Premier League titles won by Jose Mourinho. The sight of his team top of the table on the back of two 4-0 victories is ominous, given Mourinho’s previous. This is United’s best start to a campaign since 1907-08 when a 4-1 win at Aston Villa was followed by a 4-0 victory over Liverpool. Those looking for portents say that was when the title was won that year. Yet Mourinho, with his nose in front, is even more dangerous

than the ghost of Billy Meredith. United’s manager is a frontrunner, the way Tiger Woods used to be. Woods never won a major that he did not at least co-lead going into the final day. Mourinho wins his Premier League titles as imperiously. He dominates, early. Gets in front and crushes resistance into the turf. His last title, in his second stint at Chelsea, was collected after leading from gun to tape. Chelsea won 3-1 at Burnley on the first Monday of the season to go top and did not relinquish that position through 37 rounds. In the final title victory of his first spell, it took Chelsea until the third game to lead. A 4-0 victory over West Brom put them there but, after that, they could not be shifted. Even Mourinho’s first Premier League title, a year earlier, was won from head of the pack. Chelsea were second by week two and one better after beating Everton on November 6, their 12th game of the season. Again, they stayed on for the remainder. Indeed, in winning his three Premier League titles, Mourinho has never surrendered the lead once taken. For Manchester United to be the early front-runners, and with such a resounding goal difference, smacks of a textbook Mourinho campaign. True, he has had two of the season’s lamer ducks as opposition — Swansea, who prepared for the visit of Manchester United by selling their best player, and West Ham, who appear determined to begin each year as the crisis club — yet even so, an 8-0 goal difference is an impressive statement of intent. Frank Lampard has talked in the past of Mourinho’s way of building dressing-room confidence and United already have buoyancy about their play this year. Of course, as Mourinho pointed out at the weekend, United started with two wins last season and finished sixth. But this feels different. Mourinho is getting outstanding performances from a settled group of players: Paul Pogba, Phil Jones, Nemanja Matic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford, even Anthony Martial off the bench, all look stronger this season. A year ago, there were still questions about the defence, about Wayne Rooney, about the style. No such uncertainties exist 12 months on. This looks a complete team, a Mourinho team, and ready to set the pace. We have seen this film before and know how it ends. United’s best start in 110 years is impressive; but it is modern, not ancient, history that contains a lesson for their rivals.