In the past week Jose Mourinho dropped yet another hint that he would be interested in a return to the Premier League, with many believing that his most likely destination, following Sir Alex Ferguson’s eventual departure before his 70th birthday, will be Manchester United.
Tough act to follow
During Ferguson’s era at the helm, which has lasted nearly a quarter of a century, he has won an impressive thirty-three trophies; including 11 League titles, 5 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 2 Champions League titles, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup… whoever replaces Ferguson as the United boss will clearly have daunting boots to fill.
It is hard for most fans to envisage any figure in Ferguson’s place, and his success with United appears near impossible to replicate, yet Mourinho, having won 14 trophies in 9 seasons as the manager of Portuguese club Porto, West Londoners Chelsea, and Italian giants Inter Milan is certainly a viable candidate for the job. Mourinho and Ferguson perhaps do bear some similarity as both initially made their managerial mark enjoying surprising European triumphs, with Porto and Aberdeen respectively, and it is also noteworthy that Mourinho has maintained a similar rate of silverware success to Ferguson.
No discernible understudy from within
As Ferguson has thus far not produced an understudy, or consistent assistant manager, to steer the ship in his absence, United fans therefore must expect and accept, subsequent change. It is reasonable to expect Malcolm Glazer, in conjunction with Ferguson, to select a replacement who will have a long term commitment to the club, developing and crafting the squad over a number of years, rather than resorting to quick and high profile big spending.
Would the Special One fit in?
But does Mourinho fit that role? Would he have the long term commitment and loyalty to a single club demonstrated by his possible predecessor, ‘Mr. United’, Sir Alex? Is he willing to nurture as well as spend?
Despite being an exciting and more than capable choice that many, would relish seeing in the Premiership again, many remain unconvinced that Mourinho is the right man to replace Ferguson. It is true that Mourinho develops a close bond with both players and fans, becoming a popular and likeable figure, yet one suspects his character would be counterproductive for United.
Mourinho’s suave arrogance and fierce personal drive would help him initially overcome Ferguson’s hefty shadow, but such traits perhaps reveal an unfortunate desire to be larger than the club he controls, which could potentially result in hierarchical conflict. In addition, Mourinho appears to relish new challenges, by no means necessarily a bad thing, in favour of developing a team over a lengthy period. For instance Mourinho has not shown evidence of nurturing youngsters through the squad system, which might not appeal to the United hierarchy.
Furthermore, given Mourinho’s history of managing clubs that were frequently considered relative underdogs, it would seem that the Manchester City hot seat would be more suitable for his style and personality, taking a team with potential and transforming them into a legitimate force, whilst becoming a disruptive nuisance for the traditionally successful clubs. Yet, if the rumour mill is to be believed, Mourinho has already twice rejected the advances of the blue side of Manchester.
Other candidates
The selection of a successor, if it is not to be Mourinho, appears to be an incredibly difficult one for the Glazers, and a number of names have cycled through the press in recent years, including the likes of Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce, and David Moyes, with the latter being the most strongly tipped candidate.
Moyes, on a limited budget, has done a sterling job with Everton whilst also demonstrating both commitment and loyalty and he would likely provide a smooth transition with minimal fuss or expense for United. The critical question is whether, with big name players and significant funds, Moyes can perform at the highest level.
Dubious outside shouts have also included the excitable Martin O’Neil, the wheeling and dealing Harry Redknapp, who has a history of encouraging attractive football and developing talented youngsters, and the steely Stuart Pearce. Although the aforementioned all intimately understand the Premier League, none have managerial experience at the highest level in Europe, such as is possessed by United’s international candidates Guus Hiddink, Fabio Capello, and Roberto Mancini, and finding such a balance is going to be difficult for the United elite.
Unenviable task
Mourinho is an exceptional and media savvy manager who would undoubtedly bring short term success to United, but one doubts whether he could replicate the stability and loyalty developed by Ferguson, and for this reason, if the United owners want to find a manager who will continue in the Ferguson mould, they must look elsewhere, and likely to managerial staff plying their trade just outside of the traditional premiership top four.