Hola amigos!
Finally the board of directors at Manchester United grew a pair and got shot of Jose Mourinho! It's not that I think he's a poor manager, it's just that he's a poor manager, that's all! Nothing personal Jose!
And in Jose's stead we have a United old boy from the wonder days; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is back, albeit on an interim basis to begin with! And after his first half in charge ManU are 3-1 up at Cardiff and looking good for the win!
I said the other day that, in fairness to Jose Sourpuss, that the United players need to shoulder a large part of the blame for this horrible start to the season. United has the largest payroll in the Premier League, their players earning on average half a mill more than their nearest rivals (pay wise) per annum! I dunno 'bout you, but for me that's a whole lotta wonga, and as such United fans should be well within their rights to expect, nay demand, a level of committment commensurate with that sort of dinero! And the frank and disappointing truth is, that this season, that committment to the shirt has just not been apparent on the pitch!
To me a large part of todays modern manager's role is instilling confidence in his players. At the top level I would suggest that there is not much difference in the quality of players and that those who perform consistently well do so largely as a result of supreme levels of self confidence. And it's infectious! It can spread through a team like a contagion, in much the same way as a lack of confidence can bring even the best teams to their knees for no apparent reason at all. Witness Germany at the last World Cup! And Jose Mourinho, for whatever reason, has lost that ability to inspire his men. In the past I would argue he had it, but during his last year at (his second spell at) Chelsea and since being at United that ability to inspire, to get the best out of his teams, has eluded him. Maybe it's just a dry spell; time will tell!
But at United, I would suggest that it was much more than just a dry spell. He was a bad fit from the outset. Mourinho's teams have never played expansive, attractive, attacking football and a leopard cannot change his tactical spots no matter how many millions you pump into his bank account!
Again nothing personal mate, but....good riddance!
So what of Solskjaer? It is, we are told, an interim appointment; the hot favourite to get the job a permenant basis being current Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino who, I think, would be a cracking choice! He sets his teams up to play the right kind of footabll, has a history of encouraging youth and would, I'm sure, be the right man to encourage a few big names to join a brand new Red revolution (possibly even a certain Mr H. Kane! Wish, wish!). The big fly in the ointment being that I cannot see him leaving Spurs! Why would he? But I keep my fingers crossed that it all works out!
Whilst I have been writing this and listening on BBC radio 5live to the match, Lingard has knocked in a 4th and the boys seem to be kicking it out of the park!
Come on United!!
Okay, now it's 5-1...a Lingard brace brings on, what will be United's biggest win of the year!
Go go United!
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