From spilling water to spilling blood.
One of the most senior executives at United described Mourinho's final months at the club as 'death by a thousand cuts.'
Mourinho's defenestration was so pre-meditated that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew he would take caretaker charge eight weeks before his Manchester homecoming.
Mourinho only spent two and a half years in Manchester but his overdue status as United manager was a blockbuster event to trump Barbenheimer. The biggest mistake United made was not to have appointed him three years earlier.
Had Mourinho inherited Sir Alex Ferguson's title-winners in 2013, he would have demanded - and got key signings, commanded immediate respect of the dressing room, maintained their hunger and United might have rode roughshod over an undaunting Premier League terrain.
United are still on 20 titles partly - through their decision-making around Mourinho. He is their best à manager of the post-Ferguson era s and the most undermined. Ed Woodward vetoed moves for Mouro inho's signing recommendations e during the 2018 summer transfer e window and cultivated a playerpower culture by siding with Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.
Mourinho sensed he was on bor- rowed time the moment France won the World Cup in mid-July.
In-fighting had begun with Pogba, whose ego ballooned to leave Mourinho fighting a lost .cause. He still went down with a fight.
Pogba was stripped of the vice-captaincy and eventually dropped.
He came to define Mourinho's final months almost as much as the United manager did. Tellingly, Pogba was an unused substitute during Mourinho's final stand at Anfield.
When he returned to Old Trafford at the start of the 2019-20 season for the opening weekend thrashing of Chelsea, Mourinho was serenaded by the Stretford End. That same corner urged Pogba to leave in no uncertain terms on his last appearance in 2022.
Bu hikaye Manchester Evening News dergisinin October 24, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Manchester Evening News dergisinin October 24, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Bright start but the sun won't shine right away
DRAW SHOWS NEW BOSS HAS MUCH WORK TO DO
Could Angel be on his way back to Reds?
FORMER Manchester United starlet Angel Gomes could be set for a sensational return to Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim.
Problems mounting up for Pep's 'fragile' Blues
CITY'S OPPONENTS NO LONGER FEAR THEM
Skipper calls on the Blues to rediscover their mojo
MAN City captain Kyle Walker insists City have to rediscover their 'mojo' to get their season back on track, starting with tomorrow's visit of Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Benefits will be lost if work is refused
YOUNG people will lose their benefits if they refuse to take up work and training opportunities, a Cabinet minister has said ahead of announcing measures to cut the welfare bill.
Strong views defended
A MINISTER has defended her Cabinet colleagues voicing \"strong opinions\" in opposition to assisted dying ahead of a historic Commons vote this week.
Cop29 deal at 11th hour
ENERGY Secretary Ed Miliband has called a financial package for developing nations a \"critical 11thhour deal at the 11th hour for the climate\" as the United Nations environmental conference drew to a close.
No Andy? No Smiths'
Band's former drummer says there can never be reunion of ground-breaking 80s group
£50m costs explosion for NHS in city-region
GREATER Manchester's NHS has experienced a \"mini explosion\" in costs as it deals with a £50m overspend in its budget for this year.
River rescue bid after report of missing man
A RESCUE operation was launched after a missing man was reported to have fallen into a river.