How Jose Has Impressed Fans

A fortnight has passed since Jose Mourinho was appointed manager of Manchester United and the Portuguese has already impressed many fans with his swift, decisive work at Old Trafford.


Mourinho was officially unveiled on Friday 27 May and by Bank Holiday Monday the 53-year-old had taken a tour of the Aon Training Complex, exchanged pleasantries with Sir Bobby Charlton and decreased his involvement in UNICEF’s Soccer Aid match to focus on matters at United.

That last decision would have been particularly tough to make for the two-time Champions League winner, given that he is a long-term supporter of the worldwide children’s charity, but it seemingly enabled him to put the wheels in motion for the first major transfer of his Old Trafford reign.

Yes, just 12 days after his own contract was signed, Mourinho had sanctioned the inking of another as Ivory Coast international Eric Bailly completed his move from Villarreal CF. The deal appeared to be initiated under the radar too – judging by the lack of press speculation – and the new Reds boss was delighted to bag a “great natural talent” who has “the potential to become one of the best around”.

The timing of such transfers in a hectic summer of international football is crucial, with many believing it is better to do business ahead of tournaments like Euro 2016 and Copa America. Although Bailly is not involved in either of those competitions – he won the Africa Cup of Nations in January 2015 – the speedy acquisition of his service will allow him to take part in United’s pre-season tour of China and that is absolutely crucial to him settling in at a club that dwarfs the size of his former employers.

It is also clear that Reds supporters are not experts on the Bailly’s short and meteoric career, judging by the social media posts that followed the Ivorian’s arrival, but that is understandable given he only registered 47 first-team appearances for Villarreal, as well as five for his other La Liga side Espanyol.

But what was more noteworthy about the reaction was how pleased supporters were to know that Mourinho was responsible for the whole thing. It suggested that he has a clear plan for United and is not wasting any time in executing it. Furthermore, the transfer has also pleased fans who are eager for the club to complete its business early, rather than waiting until the drama of transfer deadline day.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Marcus Rashford have also signed new long-term contracts inside Mourinho's first fortnight, even if those were in the pipeline for months, yet the manager almost certainly sanctioned the one-year extension for Michael Carrick that was announced on Thursday.

"His form this year shows his ability and his enjoyment of the game are as strong as ever," Jose pointed out in the statement. "Michael has a wealth of experience from his many years at the club and that knowledge will be invaluable to me. I am really looking forward to working with him."

Of course, it is far too early to make any judgement on the new manager’s work, but that doesn’t mean encouragement can't be sought from his actions. It may sound ridiculous, but his use of words like “we” and “our” during his introductory interview with MUTV pleased the supporters, while his Instagram post that referred to Old Trafford as “my new house” also scored points among Reds.

Mourinho still has plenty of work to do, and the real action will begin when the 2016/17 season starts on 6 August with the Community Shield, but the the Special One has made a clinical, impressive start.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Mnautd.com