Manchester United must stick with tradition and steer away from appointing Jose Mourinho.
By Jamie Martin
There is no question that Jose Mourinho is a great manager, but with impressive talents coming through the youth ranks, he is not what Manchester United need right now.
These past few seasons have been a very difficult time for Manchester United players, fans, and staff as a transitional period has taken away the immense success that is typical of the English powerhouse. Mistakes have been made by Ed Woodward and those involved in the decision making at the club that must be avoided in the future. With Louis van Gaal struggling for the consistency that it takes to be a United manager, the proper changes must be made this summer.
Though Van Gaal has done some positive things in his two seasons at United, the overall performances and attitude have truly been unacceptable. All the rumors point to him leaving the club in the summer and even an FA Cup title is unlikely to change that. Thus, with Jose Mourinho and Ryan Giggs rumored to be the top two choices, Woodward will likely have a final say on who will be trusted with the job.
Mourinho is a very impressive man. He is a fiery character that always seems to put together a strong side. Regardless of his failures at Chelsea in 2015, he is still a world class manager capable of winning titles. However, he has a track record of failing to give youth a chance. This can be seen specifically through the progress of one player, Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting players in the world. Having been let go by Mourinho and Chelsea in 2014, the Belgian has risen to prominence over the past two years at Wolfsburg and Manchester City. It was a very questionable move to let the promising youngster leave, and one that will haunt the former Chelsea manager for a long time. The same could even be said about Romelu Lukaku, who scored two goals in a recent match against his old side to eliminate them from the FA Cup.
Though Mourinho has refuted claims that he doesn’t give chances to young players, the proof is there. With United experiencing a new wave of impressive, high potential youngsters, Mourinho could repeat the same mistakes over again. Players like Marcus Rashford, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, and Andreas Pereira must be kept at the club.
Manchester United has a history of giving youth a chance, and Ryan Giggs knows that better than anyone else.
Giggs is nearly the perfect candidate for the United managerial position. He understands the history and tradition of the club. He has experienced the immense success and the recent times of failure. He knows what it takes to win at Manchester United and has become a mentor to players like Memphis Depay as Van Gaal’s assistant.
The one issue with appointing the Welshman is his true lack of managerial experience. Yes, he has served as an interim manager and assistant at the club over the past three years, but he has not been at the helm for more than four matches. However, this inexperience is minuscule when compared to all the other factors.
At a club crying out for stability and a return to its traditional values, Ryan Giggs is truly the right man for the job. Fans and pundits would love to see managers like Mauricio Pochettino and Diego Simeone on the home bench at Old Trafford, but those options are truly outside the realm of possibilities.
Giggs knows the club inside and out. He has learned how to succeed and how to fail both as a player and as a manager. He would not bring instant success, but gradually it would begin to feel like Manchester United again.
