Abhranil Roy
With BBC and Sky Sports both confirming that Jose Mourinho is all set to be the next Manchester United manager, there is a lot of fanfare and reaction now that the much awaited move is finally materializing. Louis van Gaal has done an excellent job in setting up a strong base after the mess created by David Moyes; he has removed the deadwood, bought up youngsters and even won us a long lost trophy in the form of the FA Cup. The team is already tactically fit for Mourinho to work on, but here are 3 things he must do to make his effect more pronounced:
1. Get in some good transfers
Letting go of so many players, especially strikers last summer was a big mistake on van Gaal’s part. It left United with a depleted squad and as injuries rolled in, we went from being top of the league in November to finishing fifth in May. With Jose in, we need to buy at least a striker, two midfielders and a right back. That would give him sufficient heads to count on when the going gets tough.
2. Change the style of play
United need to undergo a complete transformation in their approach to the game if they are to compete for the top honours. This means we will have to pass faster, press higher, counter better and put more balls in the box. United have been guilty of overplaying for most parts of the season, something that has seen us score only 49 goals despite having more than 60% of possession in most of the games.
3. React better
Under van Gaal, we have been lethargic and hardly shown spirit when it mattered the most, barring a few situations. Under Mou, this tendency has to change, and we must play as a team and respond to difficult situations with character and style. Too many times this season, the defence has broke down when we pressed higher looking for goals, or vice versa. This squad needs a strong spine, and that is something the Portugese has to build in a short timespan.
