Is Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho having full blown “third season syndrome” right now? Will his preseason melt downs carry over to the games that actually count, and then result in disaster at Old Trafford?
Or is he just playing mind games? Will the Red Devils come correct when it matters? No doubt United have the talent and depth to compete for the Premier League title, but can their manager make it all come together? Let’s preview the 2018-19 Manchester United season, and try to answer these questions.
Reasons for Manchester United fans to be Optimistic:
They return basically the same team that finished runners-up in the league last season. If any club can/will make the necessary moves to strengthen appropriately in the final days of this transfer window/in the January window, it’s United. They are the richest, most powerful club in England, and right there with Barcelona and Real Madrid among the most elite on Earth.
They, more than any other team, have the money to throw at any problems that arise. Mourinho, for all the irascible traits on display in his public persona, has a top notch history of winning trophies.
When you recall how Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba played at the World Cup this summer, and think about how that could conceivably translate to the English top flight, your toes must curl if you’re a fan of the club.
Reasons for Manchester United supporters to be Pessimistic:
Mourinho implementing a drab and dull style, but winning is one thing. You knew when he came over that he wasn’t going to play swash buckling, up tempo attacking ball. However, if boring results lead to more draws and losing, then the pressure mounts and Mourinho could really experience full blown third season syndrome, and things might get ugly.
If you give a lot of weight to the disastrous preseason they just had, then you might think this is a realistic possibility. However, it’s just preseason, i.e. not something you should take seriously at all. Don’t push the panic button; please.
Summer Transfer Window/Offseason Analysis:
Well, Mourinho is at right at the top of the bookies’ boards when it comes to the “who will be the first manager sacked?” charts, so there is that. However, this situation is nowhere near as bad as the Portugese has made it out to be in ICC press conferences.
Ditto for the transfer window- it’s been quiet, but at the same time, there wasn’t much that they needed to replace.
It hasn’t been a great summer, obviously, but it hasn’t been cataclysmic either.
Manchester United Players to Watch:
Pogba (he hasn’t been consistent enough to justify his hype and price tag at United yet, but is that, at least partially Mourinho’s fault? How fractured, in reality and not in media reports, is their relationship?) Lukaku (in the midst of his prime and poised to take the next step this season), David De Gea (arguably the world’s greatest goalkeeper, but he needs to shake off a disastrous World Cup) Marcus Rashford (they gave him the iconic No. 10 shirt for a reason)
Manchester United League Title Odds According to Betway: 7/1, 3rd most favorable
It all Kicks Off: in the very first game of the Premier League season, when they host Leicester City Friday night
Bottom Line Outlook/Prediction: Third
This team has too much talent not to finish in the top four, but you can’t look at the offseason/preseason that both Manchester clubs have had and reasonably believe that the 19 point gap from last season has been closed.
Also, Liverpool’s transfer spending, which Mourinho has colorfully discussed in public on more than one occasion, vaults them into the title conversation. However, Jurgen Klopp is yet to win a trophy at Anfield, so don’t automatically assume that the Reds have leapfrogged the Red Devils just yet.
The season could be defined as a success if United can find a way to make a deep run in UEFA Champions League, as they have been very unimpressive (by the club’s lofty standards) in Europe since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud and YouTube. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to any and all of his.