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Jose Mourinho talks with ESPN FC about Manchester United's transfer needs, expectations for Alexis Sanchez, his love for LA and more.
José Mourinho told ESPN FC that the World Cup was the perfect habitat for Paul Pogba because he could "only think of football".
Paul Pogba. Jesse Lingard. Romelu Lukaku. Marouane Fellaini. Ashley Young. These five players all had World Cup campaigns at least very good and, at best, exceptional. All three return to Old Trafford, where they are joined by others who have surpbaded expectations in Russia, like the Swede Victor Lindelof, or maintained their good reputation, as Serbian Nemanja Matic. Why, then, are Manchester United fans worried about next season? And more importantly, what can be done to address these concerns?
The anxiety stems in part from the fact that Liverpool, the bitter rivals of Manchester, added immediate and exceptional updates in areas where it was a bit lacking last season. new goalkeeper (Alisson, from Roma) and a new central midfielder (Naby Keita, from RB Leipzig) that many consider to be among the best in the world. Yet, most of the concerns are closer to home. In particular: how can United trigger his attack, a systemic problem last season that stems from the fact that he failed to advance the ball fast enough?
The answer to this question may already be in their team. A central partnership of Eric Bailly – which has now benefited from several months of recovery – and Lindelof now looks like United's best option. The Swede was very good this summer in Russia and should have done enough in the eyes of Jose Mourinho, who was an expert in the tournament, to supplant Phil Jones and Chris Smalling in the United lineup. It took Lindelof time to settle at Old Trafford, but his talent was never disputed. He and Bailly, at their best, offer promptness, precision, and overtaking ambition that Jones and Smalling do not have. With a fast and accurate distribution from the back, United should benefit from a faster attack.
It looks like United will start the season with a midfielder from Pogba and Matic, but the French World Cup shows that Pogba needs a more dynamic partner by his side to flourish. Neither Fred nor Ander Herrera are not Golo Kante – no one is – but, at least by rotation, they are options to help get the most out of it. Then there is Pogba, returning from a World Cup where he showed all his qualities at best. It's an exciting prospect and a situation United will soon enjoy.
The options on the back are satisfying rather than exciting, with Ashley Young in front of Luke Shaw on the left and Antonio Valencia with an excellent MP in Diogo Dalot. There is always a feeling, however, that United needs another attacker, preferably on the right. Elsewhere, they have talent.
The real challenge is with Mourinho. He should be quite optimistic at the moment – Fellaini and Young are players with whom he has a surprising faith, and who have repaid it with their good form this summer. Lingard, Pogba and Lukaku proved their brilliance on the biggest stage. Yet, Mourinho, instead of facing this tidal wave of optimism, has collapsed lately. He seems busy managing and minimizing expectations, wondering if Pogba can focus on club-level work.
This pre-season should be a clean slate – an opportunity to re-engage Anthony Martial, who unfortunately seems to be about to step out of the door, and talk about his team's title chances. These may just seem like words, but being bullish questions. Perhaps, however – and this is only a hint – the excellent performances of his players at the World Cup have put more pressure on Mourinho, because they have led to a lack of success. others asked him why they did not deliver collectively for their club. Faced with this pressure, he seems to have fallen back into a defensive stance – but if United has to succeed this year, he must probably get out of it, and that quickly.
Source: co.uk
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