Is four still the magic number for Mourinho?
JOSE Mourinho has been making his point to United senior staffers all summer. Four signings. From the end of last season and across the breadth of the US, press conferences have always featured the phrase ‘four signings.’
While he insisted he would settle for three, his words, tone and delivery suggested Ed Woodward should get a move on.
Yet here we are, with two weeks to go before the window shuts on August 31 and three have arrived.
A deal for Ivan Perisic has stalled, and Mourinho insists it is ‘game over’ for Gareth Bale – even if the transfer of Kylian Mbappe has the potential to hand the United manager extra lives.
So, do United plunge into the murky waters of the final days of the summer window, or can they afford to wait in pursuit of the last puzzle piece? Clearly, if a top target – Bale for example – becomes available, United should do everything possible to ensure he is holding a red shirt in front of a strategically placed advertising board before the end of the month.
United were rarely involved in deadline day dashes under Sir Alex Ferguson, and those since have proved reminiscent of panicked shoppers in the local petrol station on Christmas Eve.
Radamel Falcao was an unmitigated transfer bust, while United overpaid for Marouane Fellaini and then proceeded to woefully misuse their expensive new asset under both David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
However, deadline day 2008 yielded Dimitar Berbatov, who lifted two Premier League trophies with United – and finished as the club’s top scorer with 20 league goals in the title winning campaign of 2010/11.
If the right man is out there, the timing becomes irrelevant. But what if that man isn’t available, and United are forced into plan B, C or D?
Can Mourinho and Woodward delay a move until January or beyond without jeopardising a title challenge?
It remains well-documented that one of last season’s biggest issues was a lack of goals from midfield.
Last season, Diego Costa netted 20 of Chelsea’s 80 league goals. In 2012/13, Robin van Persie contributed 26 of the 86 Premier League strikes as United romped to the title.
While Romelu Lukaku has made a fast start to life as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s replacement, he needs more help than the Swede was afforded last term.
Mourinho’s summer signings should all help address this. Nemanja Matic frees up Paul Pogba to have a bigger influence further forward – with West Ham the first victims.
Victor Lindelof’s purchase was designed to leave the back line needing less protection but it’s no secret that the left side needs surgery.
Bale, Perisic and Danny Rose have all been mooted to add some flair from the flank.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford responded to the challenge. The duo both impressed on tour in the US. Perhaps tough love is working. At left-back, Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian have proved uninspiring, but Luke Shaw is the ace that Mourinho is hoping to discover in his pack.
He is close to a comeback, and by January it should be obvious whether he does have a future as United’s next great full-back or whether the position needs further investment.
Ultimately, Mourinho has to decide if his own work on the training ground can ensure that in Shaw, Rashford and Martial, he has enough to succeed this season.
If not, the pressure on Woodward is increasing by the day.