BOSSES ARE RUNNING ON EMPTY
Mourinho fears the failure to bring in fresh blood will see United left behind
AFTER a summer spent airing his grievances from Michigan to Munich, Jose Mourinho turned up yesterday with his game face on.
Manchester United kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Leicester City tonight, and even Mourinho knew it wasn’t the right time to be griping again.
So with England’s transfer window closing without the additional signings he wanted, can United compete with Manchester City this season?
‘I know the words you want me to say or not to say. It depends on the music, but words don’t come easy,’ he replied, choosing an odd time to reference the 1980s pop hit.
It was clear from what followed, however, that Mourinho fears the worst; that he feels United’s decision to keep their money in their pocket this week could rebound on them soon enough.
‘By the end of November or December, you don’t need words,’ he added. ‘You’ll see by then which teams are candidates to win the Premier League. At the moment, words are not important. Let’s play football and see by then.’
This from a manager who won the title with Chelsea in 2015 and was sacked the following December after an unproductive summer and poor start to the season.
Mourinho sees the warning signs. He knows he cannot afford to get out of the blocks so slowly again.
After a damp squib of a deadline day at United that reflected a disappointing end to the transfer window all around the Premier League, it was hard not to detect some distance between the Old Trafford boss and his executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
Mourinho wanted two new signings and, twice this summer, has publicly called on Woodward to deliver. Having spent close to £375million in two years under the Portuguese coach, however, Woodward was not inclined to pay any more for players he considered too old, too expensive, or no better than what he had already.
It’s understood United would have broken the world transfer record for a defender and paid £100m to sign a player of the quality of Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, but decided £65m was more than enough for Harry Maguire. Even then, Leicester wouldn’t budge.
United tried to get Jerome Boateng on loan from Bayern Munich, mindful that the Germans had already sold them two players with questionable injury records in Owen Hargreaves and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
When the talks turned to a permanent transfer, United would only offer £22.5m for a player who is valued at £45m by Bayern but turns 30 next month.
Similarly Toby Alderweireld, another 29-year-old, although United’s interest in the Tottenham defender never progressed to a price being discussed between the clubs.
It’s understood that only one conversation took place between Woodward and Daniel Levy this summer when the Spurs chief inquired about two United players, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw.
United had an interest in Yerry Mina but were put off by the exorbitant agents’ fees involved in signing the Barcelona defender who ended up joining Everton.
Finally, they turned to 32-year-old Diego Godin and met his £18m buyout, only to be left feeling the Uruguayan had used United to lever a new contract at Atletico Madrid.
It meant Marcos Rojo’s £30m move to Everton was called off, and Matteo Darmian could well stay at United beyond the transfer window closing in Italy next week.
So Mourinho was left disappointed but Woodward wouldn’t pay over the odds for those defenders, any more than the wingers his manager wanted — Ivan Perisic, 29, and 30-year-old Willian.
Woodward would rather keep faith with the younger Martial, a player Mourinho is happy to sell to finance other deals.
It highlights the opposing perspectives of a manager who wants improvement now as there is no guarantee he will be at Old Trafford this time next year, and an executive trading with one eye on the future.
It is perhaps not the best way to embark on what has historically been a perilous third season for Mourinho, particularly in light of his other problems this summer.
He played a straight bat when asked about them yesterday, notably on Martial who upset him by leaving United’s pre-season tour to be at the birth of his son, and Paul Pogba whose uneasy relationship with his manager is fuelling a desire to join Barcelona.
Mourinho spoke with Pogba and his other World Cup stars yesterday to see which of them could play against Leicester after just a few days training because he is six men down due to injury.
‘We don’t have many solutions and want to go with everything we have,’ he said. ‘Of course, I’d prefer to look to the bench and have them rather than to have 16-year-old boys without experience.
‘We would prefer to have a couple more days, but the decision was to be first to play and that’s it. We’re ready.’