Are transfers to blame for Jose’s mood?
THE press conference introduction on Tuesday sounded an ominous tone: “The manager’s here to take your questions on the ICC tournament.” A deathly silence. Then someone conjured up a way around it.
“Jose, you’re obviously over here for pre-season in the ICC tournament, with the squad you have now, would you be confident of challenging for the title next season?”
Mourinho mustered six words: “I don’t answer to your question.”
“May I ask why?” Mourinho stayed mute. It was clarified he was there to speak about the tournament. Someone sighed audibly.
The JD Morgan Center Mourinho was housed in is laden with cups and goblets charting the UCLA’s sporting successes and is not dissimilar to the Old Trafford trophy room. There is a danger that the silver polish will remain unopened next year as frustration mounts over the club’s transfer activity.
One United player has already clocked Mourinho’s ‘bad mood.’
Mourinho shook English journalists’ hands at the UCLA last week but as soon as the 15-minute open training session had expired on Tuesday he instructed a staff member to escort the media away from the Drake Stadium pitch. A week is a long time in football.
So is a month. United confirmed Fred’s arrival on June 21 and in the time that has elapsed they have been dormant, save for Lee Grant.
The 35-year-old’s signing did not even elicit a press release and was announced seconds before England kicked off against Colombia.
Mourinho’s downbeat mood is believed to be related to a lack of progress on the transfer front. He has had to go public, clarifying he wants ‘two more’ and, as the M.E.N. reported on Monday, the club are working on two more signings. ‘Working’ is not completing, though.
Ed Woodward is due to return to the United States over the next week.
United’s issues are exacerbated by the Anthony Martial situation. Woodward is reluctant to sell a 22-year-old who the club invested up to £58million in three years ago and is drawing admiration from Tottenham, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Only Mourinho is open to jettisoning him, provided the fee is acceptable and the club suitable.
Said suitable club could be within English borders. Chelsea and Tottenham possess players United want (Willian and Toby Alderweireld) and both available.
Despite Spurs chairman Daniel Levy’s infamous reputation for driving a hard bargain, United targeted Eric Dier last year and are persevering with Alderweireld, having prised Nemanja Matic from Chelsea and Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in a mid-season swap involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Mourinho has endorsed top six trading. “I think was a fantastic deal and a fantastic deal is only fantastic if it is good for everybody,” he said of the Sanchez swap in January. “United and Arsenal made a fantastic deal, I lost a fantastic player, Mr Wenger lost a fantastic player, Alexis changed from a fantastic club to a giant club and Mkhi changed for a fantastic club, so was a great deal for everybody. “So, good feeling for everybody and a very specific transfer between rivals in a big country, which I have to say must happen more times.”
Martial is a makeweight for Mourinho and, just as Mino Raiola explained the Sanchez deal could not happen without Mkhitaryan, an Alderweireld or Willian move might not be possible without Martial.
Moving Martial would also accelerate United’s dealings in that they have an incentive to sell a player to buy a replacement.
Overseas clubs have additional time to complete a move, what with the Premier League market shutting up its stall at 5pm on August 9. Bayern are open for business until August 31.
From Mourinho’s perspective, it is more logical to deal with Spurs or Chelsea given United’s interest in their attainable players.
If they do not - and Woodward refused to entertain Chelsea’s overtures for Wayne Rooney five years ago - then they could be saddled with a wantaway and under pressure to sell him without the freedom to replace.
Tellingly, United have not discounted deadline day dealings this summer and as the pressure amounts someone is going to have to yield.
It sounds ominous. Jose Mourinho when asked about next season’s title race