This summer was supposed to mark the start of a new era at Manchester United. Instead, so far, it’s been the same old story.
Rather than new owners sweeping into Old Trafford to inject new life into a sleeping giant of a football club, supporters have seen their rivals take the first steps in the transfer window. Of the Premier League‘s traditional top six — which has now expanded to seven following Newcastle United‘s return to the Champions League — all but one have signed at least one new player in readiness for next season, or are at least very close to doing so. No prizes for guessing the odd one out.
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United manager Erik ten Hag enjoyed a relatively successful first season in charge — winning the Carabao Cup, reaching the FA Cup final and finishing third in the league — but he will know better than anyone that if you stand still in the Premier League, you end up moving backwards. Just ask Jose Mourinho.
In 2017-18, Mourinho’s second season in charge, United finished second behind Manchester City and reached the FA Cup final, where they were beaten by Chelsea. There was cautious optimism that, with a productive transfer window, they could close the gap on Pep Guardiola’s team and become serious title contenders for the first time since their last triumph in 2013. But by the time Mourinho turned up in Los Angeles for the start of United’s preseason tour in July 2018, he was already convinced he wouldn’t get the financial backing he believed he needed.
Stoney faced from the minute he arrived in California, he was asked in his first news conference at UCLA whether he was optimistic about United’s chances of challenging City. He refused to answer. After another news conference, he gestured to the gathered English journalists that he wanted to speak to them away from the cameras. Huddled in a corner, he revealed was keen to get rid of Anthony Martial, only for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward to say a few days later that the French striker would definitely stay.
Mourinho’s mood was so bad throughout the tour of the United States that when talk-show host James Corden arrived at the training ground to film a segment for “The Late Show,” the United manager initially refused to take part, only relenting at the last minute. The final insult for Mourinho was Woodward and the recruitment team vetoing a move for Jerome Boateng because of the Bayern Munich centre-back’s injury record, and by the end of the tour Mourinho and Woodward were barely on speaking terms.
The cautious optimism of early summer had long gone by the time United began the new season with just five wins from their first 13 games. Mourinho was gone by Christmas.
