It’s a well known fact that you believe what you read in the media at your peril especially when a report appears in a newspaper notorious for its lack of credibility as the Daily Mail. It does make you wonder however whether there’s a fire burning whenever smoke appears which prompts the question – What will you do if you were one of the world’s most successful football managers and were offered a £10million a year deal to take charge of a club with unlimited amounts of money to sign anyone you want? Will you grab the opportunity with both hands? Who could possibly be crazy enough to reject such a chance? Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho that’s who and you have to ask yourself why!
The Mail reports that Manchester City is desperate to the tune of £10million a year to replace Signor Mancini with Senhor Mourinho at Eastlands in summer. It’s hardly surprising following a year where City has to date made no progress despite splashing out the Sheik’s millions. City is sitting on 53 points after 30 matches, precisely the same as they were after the same number of games last season.
So what has this got to do with Manchester United you may ask? Simple. Mourinho has been told that his dream job of replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford will have to wait for at least another year but is wanted by United’s ‘noisy neighbours’.
The man who turned Chelsea into Premier League champions will be offered a £10million a year deal to take charge at Eastlands and will have to choose between staying at Real Madrid while waiting for Ferguson to retire or joining City and going head to head with his old friend and rival.
One City insider claims that Mancini is on borrowed time following the club’s Europa League exit on Thursday night and Mourinho is the club’s No1 target to replace the Italian. We all know that £10m a year is not only able to talk, it shouts from the rooftops! It begs the question as to why ‘Mou’ is understood not to be interested and is prepared to take his chances of waiting for the Old Trafford job instead. Is the Eastlands job such a hopeless cause that even an annual fortune is not deemed to be worth the problems it brings with it?
Ferguson has given plenty of indications that despite his age, retirement is the furthest thing from his mind. You can rest assured however that when the time finally arrives it will be completely out of the blue, only Sir Alex, his family and close friends will have any inkling of it. The former Chelsea manager and Ferguson are reported to have forged a good friendship in the last few years which makes you wonder if Mourinho is being kept in the loop. After all, knocking back an offer of £10m a year takes some doing even if it is at a club that has won nothing for 35 years.
It has to be said that I personally don’t see Mourinho as a realistic long term United manager but then I’m only a humble amateur blogger. If truth be told I’ll be more comfortable with tried and tested Premier League managers like David Moyes and Steve Bruce but who am I to question Ferguson’s judgement? Whoever Sir Alex decides to anoint as his successor whenever the time arrives will be fine by me.
Is Mourinho wasting his time waiting for the United job?
I’d rather see Martin O’Neil or David Moyes as United manager than Mourinho
There are reasons why Jose shouldn’t take over the reigns at United, lack of youth progression being one.
But it will take a certain personality to take over from Fergie and one that continues success instantly. And Jose is one of the very few that can do this.
Agree with Baldrick…..i also remember this blog posting an article on scottish managers….and there i mentioned why i want david moyes as our manager….apart from this…Martin O’Neil will be superb…with great resources….either of these two can maintain united’s supremacy in the world of football!!!
Jose wants to join united just for personal gains…he once said that he wants to win the champions league with clubs from different nations…. Portugal and Italy is done….now he’s going on with real Madrid….if real goes on to win the ucl he’ll say goodbye and will look forward to return to England and to united…he’ll make united win big things…even the champions league and then goodbye!!…I like jose a lot….he’s a superb tactician…a master when it comes to tactics…but he’s not useful in the LONG RUN!…let’s see what happens!!
Baldrick Says:
March 21st, 2011 at 10:36 AM
I’d rather see Martin O’Neil or David Moyes as United manager than Mourinho
I know yeah, I’m also really looking forward to 3-5 years of mid table mediocrity. Who needs proven domestic and european success?!
The clue here in this article “The daily snail” its a highly fictitous piece of journalism, as normal.Mourhino for those that are not avid readers on Manchester United has already made it crystal clear he will only return to England to manage Chelsea, out of respect for the club he once brought much success to.
Is that quite clear?.He will never manage United.
I like turtles!
Can’t believe what I’m reading. The Chelski we have today is because of Mourinho – I watched the match yesterday and have to admit that the rent-boys do play some good football. They were half the team they became before The Special One arrived. Don’t get me wrong. SAF is a God – but Mourinho is a worthy angel who could very well do God’s work but in his own way! and MUFC would be as revered, respected and scary under his tutelage as they are now.
i can understand why some would not want jose at Utd but i would as he would clear the crap that needs to go!…too many Utd players play on Fergies loyalty and dont give back good enuff performances in return (oour very own Carrick etc)!…so wat if jose was only there for 2 years…he would identify what needs to be done get it done, give players a greater sense of tactics and awareness aswell as confidence!…and really getting a manager like Bruce is all very fairy tale like but does he have the tactical nous to master europe?…i very much doubt it!!….and does O´Neill really spark of long term?…nope!!…so give me jose 2years worth above 5 years of prem standard lack of european know how and players taking advantage of one of their pals taking over!!!
I would love to see Mourhino at United. I think he will be our safest bet to maintain our status as one of the best teams in the world after Ferguson retires. The guy is a winner, there is no doubt about that.
Hope you’re right Redscot as i for one wouldnt fancy watching the football produced by a Mourinho led United (not that this seasons offerings have been great viewing). Dont get me wrong the bloke is class but do we want a functional United or the marauding red beast with two flying wings? I’ll take the beast every time 🙂
@Danny, exactly mate I have for a long time been totally against him being the manager at United.As succesfull as he is, he is not what United require in the long term.Particularly under the financial constraints United are operating under presently and for the immediate future.
He has stated what I said though, he will only return to the United Kingdom to manage Chelsea, although as you know that highly unlikely due to acrimonious split with Mr Abramovich.
Cheers we can sleep safely for now, knowing he wont be at Old trafford.:D
@Danny, people just dont read thoroughly and do there research fully.Its like in numerous “newspapers” yesterday as an example reporting that Douglas Costa was at Old Trafford on Saturday during the Bolton game.I simply did a little bit of quick research this.: March 20th, 2011 at 8:08 pm
“He would be superb at Manchester United I believe he would bring the much needed goal threat from the midfield that United currently lack.
My concern is with the idea he was at Old Trafford as early as yesterday.I just dont buy this!Surely he would not be sitting in a stadium watching football when he had a game to play today in the Ukraine against Volyn, in which he did play and Shakhtar won 4. 0.
Maybe I am just a sceptic.lol.
He possibly has a method of time travel lol that does not involve sitting crushed up against the back of a seat in a aeroplane”.
Now talk sport confirm exactly what I said.All good fun though. Cya be lucky.
Baldrick what the **** are you on? O’neill has never won anything of note and neither has moyes. The next manager at OT needs to be a big name and be able to handle the pressure of being fergies replacement and probably the only one to do that is Jose Mourinho
I think it has to be Jose. He is the only one who will be able to handle the pressure of taking over Sir Alex. He has the mental strengh, confidence and tactical awareness to succeed in the job. I cant see him being at Man utd for long but long enough for a successor from inside being groomed, hopefully Ole gunnar solskjaer!
whatever the true story is, i dont want that clown here
1) his not that good
2) he moves around to much and we need to be trying to find a manager thats gonna want to stay for at least 10 years if not for life if he can do the job.
on fergie i hope he stays for a long time but if by some miracle we pull off another treble this season, then leaving on a very high note might cross his mind. but personally winning the treble with this team (mainly this midfield) seems a fairly unlikely scenario.
Agree with your second point Jack but quite apart from the Mourinho matter. I hear what you say about the lack of midfield quality but you have to remember that we are talking about a Cup competition where luck always plays a part. What if Arsenal drew Copenhagen in the round of sixteen and Chelsea came up against Barcelona? The quarter finals may have a totally different look to them. Remember when Barcelona was forced to travel to Inter Milan by coach for the first leg last season? That was sheer bad luck. Remember what should have been a late Barca disallowed equaliser in the second leg? Many referees would have given it but it was not meant to be.
These will be games that will turn on a knife edge and irrespective of the lack of quality in midfield, United has the trump card of Ferguson’s long experience. Will I put my money on United winning the Champions League? Bloody oath I will – if the odds are attractive enough.
And irrespective of the lack of quality in midfield? There in lays the key? lol
I think we should still pin our hopes on Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison? Dont you! Truely world class players, to take up the Challenge, bye the departing Paul Scholes.Wonderfull. all is ok then. lmao
prob with jose is that he will not stick around very long for you guys. couple of years and he will be off again. hey, i have great idea… cant you take our manager instead. he is great and brings in top results… go on, please take Alan Pardew from us. We could replace him with a loaf of bread and it would improve results instantly.
Good to see that you can have a laugh about it Craig.
Really think Jose is not fit for long term man utd plan. He is a master tactician no doubt but runs under project basis, look at his track record. I would say for me the best would be SRG…no clue… Sir Ryan Giggs….would fit in Manchester united just like that…my second choice would be Ole Gunnar…will be very nice for them to take over when the time is right
I am totally in support of what ricky says, Mou can take over for as long as he can given man utd more time to build up great successors such as Ole gunner, it will be a very great idea where by Ole will be able to add more tactice knowledge from Mou to what he must have gotten from Sir Alex.
Continous success,winning time, and team biulding are utd strategies. If morinho aint gonna stay long at utd then he should look elsewhere he is a great coach, I love him but united is a big club with a knack of winning over Morinho is a worthy angel and old trafford is football heavenly places.
Dero, Lagos- Nigeria