Mourinho mythbusting

The prospect of Jose Mourinho as Manchester United manager comes amid criticism of his playing style and failure to bring through young talent. But is that a fair assessment? Adam Bate seeks to bust some of the myths surrounding the Portuguese coach…

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to Jose Mourinho. The man himself can hardly blame anyone else for that. For more than a decade, his abrasive style and antagonistic approach has helped turn him into one of the most divisive figures in the game.

But that fact has meant that even his periods of prolonged success have seen caveats emerge. Mourinho wins matches – but what about the style of play? He guarantees trophies, but what about the issue of a lasting legacy when youngsters fail to break through?

Mourinho’s flaws have gathered a narrative of their own, but that doesn’t mean they should not be challenged where appropriate. And neither issue should necessarily dissuade Manchester United supporters when it comes to what Mourinho could bring to their club.

Firstly, the matter of Mourinho’s style has always seemed a curious criticism. His first Chelsea side were a swaggering force following his 2004 arrival, with the wing threats of Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and Joe Cole providing plenty of entertainment to go with the power.

In the space of nine Premier League games in that first season, Chelsea put four past six different sides as they finished with 72 goals – 14 more than Manchester United that season. They repeated that feat in retaining the title the following year.

Nobody scored more goals than Porto over his two full seasons in charge, and …

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