More title magic from Mourinho?
Jose targets a second-season success
JOSE MOURINHO always wins the league title in his second season at a club.
He has done it at Porto, Chelsea in both of his spells, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. In Portugal and Italy, he also won the Champions League in that same campaign for good measure.
Now the challenge is whether he can repeat the trick at Manchester United.
But never before has he had to take a team from sixth place to title winners in a single year, which is the task that faces him this season.
His opening campaign at Old Trafford is a hard one to judge. Finishing 24 points behind eventual winners Chelsea is a big gap to bridge. For large parts Mourinho’s team didn’t feel like much of an improvement on Louis van Gaal’s two-year spell.
But the League Cup and, crucially, the Europa League were won. Victory in Europe secured the all- important passage into the Champions League group stages to help attract players.
Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City all finished higher in the league but won nothing. Mourinho once again proved that he is a winner and has restored that winning feeling and confidence around Old Trafford.
He is sure to use that double success as part of his mind games in the media whenever he comes up against those sides this season.
In order to fashion a side capable of winning the Premier League, Mourinho has looked to reinforce the spine of the team with a centre- half, a central midfielder and a centre-forward.
He might not send out a style that lives up to United’s great attacking traditions, but they will be effective and hard to beat – classic Mourinho.
United’s defensive record last year was generally good without any of the defenders truly convincing.
So in comes the Swede Victor Lindelof for £ 30m from Benfica to add further competition.
Mourinho raided his old club, Chelsea, for £ 40m Nemanja Matic to provide that extra defensive shield in midfield, while at the same time giving a bit more freedom to Paul Pogba.
The Portuguese is certainly happy, describing Matic as a “genius” and the ideal team man after the Serbian’s appearance in the friendly with Sampdoria last Wednesday.
But the biggest deal was up front where Romelu Lukaku was snapped up from Everton for £75m.
With Wayne Rooney surplus to requirements and Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured and out of contract, United needed a big- name centre- forward. Lukaku has bagged 85 goals in five seasons in the Premier League, including 25 last year.
The Belgian is big, powerful and strong – the identikit of a modern striker. In many ways, even though it’s a different club, Mourinho will think he has a replacement for Didier Drogba.
Despite the fee, there are question marks over Lukaku. There was a feeling at Goodison that he gorged on weaker opposition and didn’t produce in Everton’s biggest matches.
Only four of the 25 were scored against top- six sides but he managed four against Bournemouth, a hat-trick at Sunderland and doubles over Leicester, Watford and Hull.
However, that would not be an issue for United. Their problem last season was an astonishing nine draws at home.
So if Lukaku continues to feast on the lesser sides, frustrating draws will become valuable wins and United will be in the mix.
The Belgian had already struck up a great relationship on – and off – the pitch with Pogba and it’s hoped they will form a devastating partnership.
With Neymar joining Paris St Germain for £ 200m, the Frenchman no longer has the burden of being the world’s most- expensive player. Perhaps that release will allow Pogba to shine this season.
The Neymar deal could also help United as Barcelona target the likes of Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Eden Hazard of Chelsea to plug the gap.
If two of their rivals were to lose their star players, suddenly the Reds’ title aspirations would increase further.
Across Manchester, City and Pep Guardiola present a huge obstacle. But Mourinho got past his old Barca rival in his second year in Madrid, and would love for history to repeat itself.