The new season is upon Manchester United and Jose Mourinho is about to start his second campaign as the club’s manager. His first one was a mixture of cup trophies and Old Trafford draws. Historically, his second one should bring the league title.
Mourinho’s track record of winning league titles across Europe in his second season at the club is very striking. It is why pundits always mention it. The streak dates back to his days at Porto at the beginning of the century. Mourinho then repeated the feat at Chelsea, Internazionale, Real Madrid and then Chelsea again.
Not An Easy Ride
Though his second spell at Stamford Bridge ended in a bitter fashion, his time at Manchester United has been good enough. Manchester United were not as thrilling as they used to be during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time. Yet Mourinho’s sixth place finish in the Premier League was reinvigorated by the wins in Europa League and League Cup.
Yet, expecting Manchester United to win the Premier League this season just because of Mourinho’s streak at previous clubs would be harmful. His side will not get free pass against fellow Top 6 clubs, neither will weaker sides be ready to open themselves up and leave the space for Red Devils to exploit.
Mourinho knows how to win the championship, but his players must be ready for that task. Portuguese manager will have a mixture of youth and experience in his squad. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial should bring unpredictability to this Man United side, something they lacked in recent years. David De Gea has been a world class goalkeeper for some time now and his heroics will win Man United valuable points.
Experience Is Before Youth
For Mourinho, the experience plays much more important part in winning the title. That is why bringing Nemanja Matic from Chelsea was a logical move. Matic won the Premier League twice in last three seasons and will be a valuable part of Mourinho’s plans. Antonio Valencia is playing better than ever at right back and his leadership will be instrumental for the manager.
Manchester United can be backed at 7/2 to win the Premier League
Players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata are reaching their peak levels, as they are 28 and 29 respectively. Romelu Lukaku is the marquee signing of Manchester United’s transfer window. He is experienced enough for a player at the age of 24, having played in 186 Premier League games.
And then there is Paul Pogba. Once the most expensive player in the world, he is now free of that tag. He should be freed on the pitch as well. His duties last season were dispersed between defence and attack. This time around Mourinho should give him more attacking-minded role and leave the more defensive work to Matic and Ander Herrera.
Mourinho Loves A Good Battle
Mourinho will have a competition like never before. If he wants to win the league title, he will have to fight off many teams. Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and the champions Chelsea are all in it. In Mourinho’s last Premier League triumph, the Blues from London won it with ease, trotting towards the finish line since February.
This time around it will not be like that. Manchester United are in for a big, 38 battles long war. The first battle of the season comes against West Ham United. Slaven Bilic and his side are ready for redemption after a poor season and Javier Hernandez will be back at Old Trafford, hungry to score a goal.
However, Mourinho is a very experienced manager himself. He knows how to win in battle, but more importantly, he loves winning football wars.
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