In the summer of 2016, the inevitable happened; José Mourinho became the manager of Manchester United. The self-styled “Special One” was, and still is, one of the most talked-about managers in the world of football.
Although he had already managed and won many trophies with Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan and Real Madrid, the fact that he wanted a crack at the Old Trafford hot-seat was one of the worst-kept secrets in football.
At the time of writing this two-part article, Mourinho was out of work but had been heavily linked to the Old Trafford job as the under-fire Louis van Gaal’s tenure drew to a close
Throughout his career, Mourinho has faced several accusations about his style of management, such as the fact that he rarely gives youth players a chance and that his style of football is boring.
I took a look at his career to date at that point to see if the facts supported these criticisms.
José Mourinho Myths, Part One: Blooding in Youngsters and Other Non-Truths
Many have called Mourinho a “chequebook manager”, and stated that he doesn’t blood youngsters into his team. Part one focuses mainly on that aspect.
José Mourinho Myths Part Two: Boring Football and Building Empires
Mourinho plays boring football, and that he can only sustain short-term success, are two other criticisms he has faced throughout his career.
Ultimate United 2017
2010s