The Good and Bad of Jose Mourinho's Manchester United Career So Far

Paul Ansorge@@utdrantcastX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistFebruary 3, 2017

The Good and Bad of Jose Mourinho's Manchester United Career So Far

0 of 10

    Jose Mourinho has had a mixed time of things so far.
    Jose Mourinho has had a mixed time of things so far.Rui Vieira/Associated Press

    Manchester United endured yet another frustrating 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, this one engineered by incumbent manager Jose Mourinho rather than predecessor Louis van Gaal, the undisputed champion of frustrating 0-0 draws at Old Trafford.

    It was further evidence that while there has been a good deal of progress for the Red Devils under Mourinho, there is a long way to go before they are anything like their best.

    However, this does not mean his time in charge has been a disaster.

    It is easy to become entrenched in binary positions in football. The instant nature of its feedback loop leads to a lot of "everything is terrible" and "everything is awesome again" responses. But in truth, the story of Mourinho's tenure at United is neither of those. He has got some things right and some things less right.

    Let's take a look at some of each.

Good: Setting the Foundations

1 of 10

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba: Two of Mourinho's best decisions.
    Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba: Two of Mourinho's best decisions.Alex Livesey/Getty Images

    Mourinho has begun squad building, and in the summer transfer window, he did an excellent job upgrading United's quality. Zlatan Ibrahimovic might have been signed for his short-term impact, but Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly could all make a difference for a long time to come.

    Pogba and Mkhitaryan in particular can form part of a side that competes at the highest level. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but Mourinho has made a good start in this department.

Bad: Rough Adjustment Period

2 of 10

    The loss at Watford was a key moment in the season.
    The loss at Watford was a key moment in the season.Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

    Three wins from the first three games of the season had United fans everywhere hopeful of a special season, but the ensuing crash effectively ended the chances of that.

    The home loss to Manchester City hurt. A loss at Watford and humiliation at Chelsea followed. The initial struggles in the Europa League meant having to play stronger sides later in the group stage, which unsettled the team's rhythm. The whole thing was sort of a mess for a while.

    That wobble has cost the team dearly, both in terms of points lost and its impact on their confidence. One of the reasons they could not afford the draw with Hull City on Wednesday was because they had already dropped all the points they could've afforded to drop. In the past couple of weeks, when things have not been going their way, players' heads look to have dropped a little too.

    Mourinho's stuttering start is a big knock against him.

Good: Getting to the EFL Cup Final

3 of 10

    United managed to squeeze past Hull City to make it to Wembley.
    United managed to squeeze past Hull City to make it to Wembley.Alex Livesey/Getty Images

    It may have been clinched in underwhelming fashion, but reaching a Wembley Stadium cup final is no small matter. A maximum of four teams will do it this season, and United will be one of them.

    The Red Devils' form means winning a trophy is far from a foregone conclusion, but getting to the EFL Cup final is a definitive achievement, one that has eluded Mourinho's elite managerial rivals this season.

    Admittedly, it is not necessarily comparing like for like in terms of the priority given to getting there, but it offers the club an excellent chance of silverware and contrasts favourably with the David Moyes season, when United's performance in the semi-final of the then-League Cup ended in defeat following one of history's worst penalty shootouts.

Bad: Blowing Chances in the League

4 of 10

    Rooney, Pogba and Ibrahimovic come to terms with their failure to beat Hull at Old Trafford in the league.
    Rooney, Pogba and Ibrahimovic come to terms with their failure to beat Hull at Old Trafford in the league.OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

    That silverware would lose a lot of its lustre if United fail to finish in the top four of the league, such are the realities of clubs with aspirations of elite status. Another season out of the Champions League would mean they have been absent from that competition for three out of the previous four seasons, and that starts to look like a pattern.

    There have been draws that should have been wins—against Stoke City and Burnley at home—draws that came as a result of significant underperformance—Everton and Stoke away and Hull City at home—and draws that were, well, probably about right against Arsenal and Liverpool at home.

    The Hull game on Wednesday saw the Red Devils fail to take advantage of a huge opportunity to gain ground on their rivals. The way other results had gone, a win would have put them within three points of second place. Instead, they are four points off fifth.

    And while Mourinho can point to some players' poor showings, he also has to take a share of the blame for questionable substitutions, the absence of potential difference-makers, his refusal to take Ibrahimovic off the pitch no matter how badly he is playing and even the players' occasional lack of confidence.

Good: Moving Wayne Rooney Out of the Spotlight

5 of 10

    Rooney shares a chuckle on the United bench.
    Rooney shares a chuckle on the United bench.Alex Livesey/Getty Images

    One of Van Gaal's biggest errors was a substantial over-reliance on Wayne Rooney. Mourinho has, to some extent, avoided this fate.

    After the first few games of the season, when the new manager gave the club captain the chance to prove himself worthy of a first-team place, Rooney has quietly and without much fuss been demoted to a rotation option.

    Sensible and relatively trouble-free, Mourinho has done a great job with this.

Bad: Still Relying on Rooney off the Bench

6 of 10

    Rooney's primary contribution against Hull in the league was arguing with the referee.
    Rooney's primary contribution against Hull in the league was arguing with the referee.OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

    Against Liverpool, Stoke and Hull in recent weeks, Mourinho has turned to Rooney in times of trouble. Sometimes, it has worked out. Against Liverpool at Old Trafford, he was excellent in the buildup to the equalising goal. At Stoke he scored a brilliant free-kick to earn United a point.

    He did nothing of note against Hull, however. Turning to him at half-time in that game was a serious error, costing United the midfield control they had with Michael Carrick on the pitch. As a consequence, 20 or so disjointed minutes followed.

    In the Liverpool and Stoke games, while he was involved in the headline moments, there was little merit to his all-around performance in either game.

    Rooney has to be used even more infrequently than he has been. When Mourinho wants to bring on a No. 10 for Carrick, he should look to Juan Mata first and Rooney second.

Good: Sorting Out the Midfield Balance

7 of 10

    Michael Carrick's presence has greatly benefited Pogba.
    Michael Carrick's presence has greatly benefited Pogba.Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

    Speaking of Michael Carrick.

    Mourinho's single best tactical move this season has been the switch to 4-3-3, with Carrick alongside Pogba and Ander Herrera in midfield. This has allowed both Pogba and Herrera the freedom to express themselves as part of the attack, but crucially, it has also made United a much better unit when pressing collectively.

    Pogba, Herrera and Mkhitaryan in particular know they are free to push high up the field to win the ball back, as Carrick will be in place covering should they get bypassed. United's best football has almost all come with the three midfielders on the pitch together.

Bad: Handling of Anthony Martial

8 of 10

    Anthony Martial has not had a big enough part to play this season.
    Anthony Martial has not had a big enough part to play this season.Michael Regan/Getty Images

    Anthony Martial played no part in United's 0-0 draw with Hull. It was hard to understand why, especially when the young Frenchman provided two assists in his previous outing, against Wigan Athletic. In his last seven starts, he has scored four goals and set up a further three.

    Yet Mourinho continues to render him peripheral to the squad and publicly speak about him in not altogether glowing terms.

    Many have made the comparison to his treatment of Mkhitaryan earlier in the season, but the 21-year-old Martial is a good deal younger than the Armenian and was at United a season before Mourinho.

    There may be something going on behind the scenes that makes sense of Mourinho's approach here, but watching from the outside, it seems like a costly gamble that is not working out.

Bad: Handling of Luke Shaw

9 of 10

    Mourinho has not made much use of Luke Shaw.
    Mourinho has not made much use of Luke Shaw.Dave Thompson/Associated Press

    To continue the theme, similar could be said of Mourinho's use—or more accurately, lack of use—of Luke Shaw. The England international is United's most obvious choice for left-back. He has had some injury troubles this season, but even when fit, he has rarely been selected.

    Again, from the outside looking in, it looks like he doesn't have his manager's trust. This is a problem beyond just the waste in terms of the cost of Shaw's transfer and his wages. Left-back is a position in which United have struggled, as none of Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian or Marcos Rojo have exactly shone there.

    Having Shaw's energy and penetration in attacking areas could help a lot. It is hoped that Mourinho is playing a long game here.

Good: Getting the Best from Defenders

10 of 10

    Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones have exceeded expectations under Mourinho.
    Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones have exceeded expectations under Mourinho.Dave Thompson/Associated Press

    Let's end on a positive, because it has not been all doom and gloom. Shaw is very much the exception to the rule when it comes to how defenders have been performing under Mourinho.

    Antonio Valencia looks a player transformed, dominating the right flank in game after game.

    All the centre-backs have been excellent bar Chris Smalling, but particular praise should be reserved for the partnership between Rojo and Phil Jones, a twosome no one would have picked as likely to be the side's most effective this season.

    Mourinho has got a marvellous tune out of them, though, and goalkeeper David De Gea has had a much quieter season than he has been used to in recent years.

    If the manager can do for his forwards what he has done for his defenders, his reviews will be a lot less mixed come this time next season.

X