10 Things Jose Mourinho Must Do At Manchester United

Jose Mourinho is a serial winner, one of the main reasons Manchester United employed him: to bring trophies to Old Trafford. In order to achieve the club’s and his personal goals, I have pen down ten things Mourinho should pay attention to.

1. Mould a playing style: throughout his career, Mourinho has be known for building his teams in a defensively solid and attackingly devastating manner. He is neither a Guardiola nor a Van Gaal with a possession philosophy, but he has a 3-points-winning-style of play, and he must quickly drum his way into the heads of his players.
2. Play to Pogba’s strength: one good thing Mourinho has done so far is to grant Pogba freedom on the pitch. But to maximise the potentials of the world’s most expensive player, he would have to tinker his tactics: drive Pogba like the ferrari he is, not like a fiat.
3. Revive Anthony Martial: Martial was a bright spot in United’s sorry campaign during last season. However, he has not find his feet in the new season. Mourinho needs to spark Martial back to life: the talent and threat of Martial will bolster United’s attacking authority.
4. Make a decision on Rooney: Rooney is no longer the Wazza of old. He has lost his pace and ability to torment defences, which effectively rules out the option of him playing as a winger. Also, Mourinho has stated he will not play his captain deep in midfield. And now with better options available to play in that no 10 role, it may be time for Rooney to get a seat on the bench.
5. Establish a long term centre-back pairing: Eric Bailly is proving to be a shrewd acquisition for United. Blind’s physical deficiencies make him a suspect, and as club legend Paul Scholes put it, we are all waiting for Blind to be found out. Mourinho must avoid instances like the one during the Manchester derby whereby Blind was left in De Bruyne’s shadow in the build-up to City’s first goal. The Bailly-Smalling partnership United fans dream of is on the horizon.
6. Provide reliable cover fullback positions: United needs cover for full backs at her disposal. Darmian and Rojo look like natural choices, but reports of a break in relationship between Mourinho and Darmian brings a lot of uncertainty about who can fill in the boots of Valencia. This may yet be the opportunity for the teenage Timothy Fosu-Mensah
7. Keep Rashford satisfied: Marcus Rashford is not only a future star but also, he is a player for the moment, as evident in last season and against Hull City. But Rashy will not get as much game time as he would have wished due to the imposing presence of Ibrahimovic. Mourinho must now adopt measures to sustain the happiness of the teenage sensation, even with a bit-part role
8. Slot in Mkhitaryan: Mkhi was purchased with loads of expectations. However, he has found life in Manchester difficult. There is no doubt about the range of qualities he brings to the table, and the Special One must suitably fit Herinkh into his squad, even if it is at the expense of his captain.
9. Play a traditional defensive midfielder: Mourihno and a defensive midfielder are like Romeo and Juliet. Jose does not do without one. All through his tenure thus far, he has had to make do with Fellaini, who has been very good. But the derby against City has reminded us of Fellaini’s vulnerability in that position, and it is time Mourihno opts for a typical anchor-man. Schneiderlin, Blind and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are good options for the Portuguese to consider.
10. Follow United’s youth policy: Mourinho has jettisoned-and rightly so-a vast number of youth products since his arrival. But to cement his status as a post-Fergie legend, Mourihno has to follow tradition. United’s academy has some really good players, and Mourinho must graciously blend them into the first team, starting with Tuanzebe and Fosu-Mensah. In addition, Man United provides Mourinho with a good opportunity to banish his poor youth development demons.