STAN COLLYMORE
PARTNERSHIPS. That’s what Jose Mourinho is building his Manchester United team on and it’s what David Moyes failed to do during his brief stay at Old Trafford.
Don’t get me wrong, there were other issues that cost Moyes his job.
Namely the fact that the behaviour of some within the dressing room was disgraceful — I mean, the fact they dubbed him ‘ Everton’ shows how poisonous it was.
No wonder those responsible were soon biffed off by Moyes and Louis van Gaal the season after.
But the key difference between The Chosen One, as Moyes was dubbed, and The Special One is the fact Mourinho appears to have worked out his best pairings across the pitch.
And to such an extent that as the Premier League season turns for home Antonio Conte, Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger will all now be looking over their shoulders and muttering, ‘They’re coming’.
Stronger
United’s recent form has seen them move right back into the mix and with the visit of old boss Moyes and his Sunderland side on Boxing Day I would expect them to keep plugging the gap.
They’re finally looking stronger in Follow us on Twwitwtewr.: @ lceosp. every department and I’m convinced it’s all down to the double acts Mourinho has found.
Leicester did it to great effect last season.
Christian Fuchs and Marc Albrighton, Wes Morgan and Robert Huth, N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy all linked to history-making effect.
People don’t talk about partnerships as much these days because they talk about the individual or the system.
But partnerships and spine are the two most important things in terms of the reliability of a team.
All right, so it has taken Mourinho nearly six months to get it right and