Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken warmly about new coach Jose Mourinho in a detailed interview with the BBC.
He agrees with TFF that there has been a lack of good luck eat Old Trafford of late and that had Manchester United won more of the many games that they have dominate but drawn, they would be much close to the leaders Chelsea.
He is quoted as saying:
“I think he has done a great job,”
“You can see he has got to grips with the club,” he said.
“The team is playing really well and he has been very unlucky. He has had six 1-1 draws and in every game he has battered the opposition.
“If they hadn’t had all these draws, they would be there challenging Chelsea. That is the unfortunate part but he is going to have to live with that.”
“I was a little bit different from Jose in the respect that I wanted to build the football club and wanted young players to be part of that.
“Nonetheless, the first team weren’t doing great and you have to find solutions to correct that. I think Jose is finding solutions now. There was a period earlier in the season when he wasn’t getting the decisions and his emotions boiled over. You see him now – he is calm and in control.
“That is the obvious observation I am making of the team now. The team is mirroring its manager.
“On Saturday at Stoke, they played to the last kick of the ball. They never gave in and got their rewards to take something from the game with that great Rooney goal.
“And did you see what he did? Ran to the halfway line. No celebration. Pointed to the ball as if to say ‘get it, we are going to win this’. That is exactly the spirit Jose has created.”
Ferguson won the lot at Manchester United in a period of dominance which seems unfathomable since his retirement. Two Champions League winners medals and two more finals. 13 League titles, five FA Cups and four league cups is a scarcely credible record. And he managed Manchester United for exactly 1500 games.
But he has been unusually quiet in the public arena since Jose Mourinho took over. It’s hard to imagine that they haven’t had some lengthy and substantial football chats since the Portuguese moved to Old Trafford.
But perhaps in light of the very public bungling of the past three years, leading figures like Ed Woodward and Sir Alex have abstained from public utterances.
TFF agrees that there is obvious improvement in this Manchester United outfit. They once more have a rudder and they look like a team which is clear about what it’s doing.
They are still a work in progress and not the free flowing side of the Fergie years. But with time and a few more signings, we fully expect Jose Mourinho too take Manchester United back to the top of the pile.