Perhaps it was the first sign of things to come: failure Manchester Unitedfrustration for Jose Mourinho. And that was long before the Portuguese joined the club. This feverish period from 2016 to 2018 will obviously be talked about a lot like that of Mourinho. Fenerbahçe will face his former club on Thursday, but perhaps more interesting is what happened in May 2013. And what could have happened.
Many myths and rumors circulate around this period, when Mr. Alex Ferguson retired, which is perhaps the Portuguese preference. He was seen as almost a man, a reject, an underdog to David Moyes.
The truth is that the United hierarchy actually made an approach for Mourinho during this upsetting period. This is despite the fact that Sir Bobby Charlton is completely against the idea and Ferguson is not really in favor of it. This approach never created tension, however, as Mourinho had already agreed a deal to return to Chelsea. Many sources say he was depressed when he discovered he had missed an opportunity.
The real question in all this, however, is whether it could have led to a lot more happiness at United if they had managed to get Mourinho in 2013 rather than 2016. The latter was an act of desperation as Manchester City got Pep Guardiola. It was also a marriage of convenience, always delicate. This was accentuated as Mourinho was coming off a disastrous season at Chelsea, which illustrated the beginnings of decline.
This was not the case in 2013. There is certainly an argument that Mourinho never got the better of United. His tactics and personality always seemed to suit defiant newcomers rather than the game’s biggest clubs.
However, it was this very personality that could have solved the first big problem United faced post-Ferguson. He could have filled a void. Mourinho may never have been perfect for the club, but 2013 might well have been the time when it made sense.
It was because Ferguson dominated United so psychologically – not to mention English football – that the club needed someone of great stature to both be able to overcome this situation and change the debate. They needed someone who would make sure they didn’t constantly miss Ferguson. Moyes was clearly not that. He often seemed intimidated by his work, and one infamous story had him desperately asking “where are the answers” while preparing for a press conference.
Mourinho never needed answers, because he already had them. He also had the personality to more than stand up to it all. The Portuguese could have dominated the debates. This was arguably more than anything else what United specifically needed following the departure of such a titanic figure as Ferguson.
This could have gone beyond simple narrative or personality, however. It could have worked in pure football terms as well, if only for a while.
Despite all the subsequent layoffs from the team Ferguson left, it was hardly in bad shape. They were the champions. Only two players, Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand, were over 32 that season. Most of the team, including Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, were in the age bracket favored by Mourinho.
The team’s profile actually looks a lot like Internazionale. Nemanja Vidic, 32, could easily have been the kind of central ‘warrior’ that Mourinho absolutely adored. The entire team was seasoned and able to mix.
Mourinho also reportedly brought in better signings than Marouane Fellaini, especially as he went on to sign top target Cesc Fabregas for Chelsea a year later. This would have helped to trigger a concentration which could have prevented the feeling of drift within the club. It is far from inconceivable that Mourinho could have immediately ensured that United would go on to win the title again. This is particularly the case in a season where the main challengers were the porous Liverpool of Brendan Rodgers and a Manchester City of Manuel Pellegrini who were not at the level of that of Guardiola.
Mourinho himself was much closer to the top of the game. Any sort of title success would have immediately steered United away from this policy of systematically appointing the wrong manager – including in 2016.
However, as is often the case with these types of alternate histories, it’s hard not to consider the broader factors and think that the end result would have been the same.
Even by appointing Mourinho in 2013, United would probably have simply delayed settling the scores. There were infrastructural issues within the club that were beyond the limits of any manager. This is not to say that no one could have succeeded, but rather that United would still have needed a complete overhaul to get the club back to the level it should be. One or two more titles would not have fixed this problem. The same problems would certainly have manifested themselves at some point.
It could also come from a more toxic situation. While Mourinho in 2013 did not endure the struggles of 2015-16 at Chelsea, his final season at Real Madrid was a dismal campaign. It also brought many of the difficulties that would define the second half of his career. Players were fed up with his abrasive approach and reactive tactics. There were already signs that the evolution of the modern game was leaving it behind. This is why he is currently in Türkiye.
Chelsea 2015-16 could have simply taken place at Manchester United 2014-15. His time at Old Trafford saw him scathingly criticize some of the players who were there in 2013-14. Few at United remember his tenure fondly, even though he brought his biggest points return since Ferguson as well as two trophies, the League Cup and Europa League in 2016-17. Many still roll their eyes at the mention of him, shuddering at the memory of Mourinho’s domineering approach. His personality could still have ended up having a corrosive effect, after having been initially convincing.
Now, history repeats itself at Fenerbahce. The Turkish team lost more points than expected, with much more defensive football. There are reports of a dressing room afflicted with “doom and despair”, with expectations of seven-man defences.
It’s even worse as the club scored 99 points with attacking football last season, only missing out on the title by three points to rivals Galatasaray.
There is of course still a vintage Mourinho charm. People still forget his words, or even his football, especially at the beginning. This is what always leaves him room to maneuver. A point also worth making about a move to United in 2013 is that it could have left room for others to maneuver.
Someone other than Ferguson could have won the Premier League, changing that historical narrative that the club must always have a long-term patriarch. At least there would have been less pressure on Erik ten Hag, and not the same burden of just having the job.
Saturday’s defiant victory against Brentford that at least means it’s not what it could have been as a game. Fenerbahce’s disappointing performance means it’s not what it could have been in terms of the pressure Mourinho put on his former club to take revenge.
Then again, his whole experience at Old Trafford could have been completely different – at least in terms of how and when it started.
