Hubert Lawence | A matter of style

Life in football is funny. Accomplished Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho lost his job at Manchester United this week and the celebrations by the club's fans gave his departure a ring of inevitability. Still, it's a sad end to his time at the Theatre of Dreams.

Expectations can be a millstone, even for those accustomed to the cut and thrust of sport. The last two United managers David Moyes, hand picked by United legend Alex Ferguson, and Dutch maestro Louis van Gaal, were ushered out early and Mourinho arrived after a cameo by evergreen United star Ryan Giggs. To some, he was the right man for the job because of the success he has had at equally big clubs.

If the truth be told, Ferguson had nursed a veteran squad past its sell-by date. When he retired in 2013, with the Premier League trophy back at Old Trafford, Moyes was left with a squad in which goalkeeper David De Gea and striker Wayne Rooney were the only players still at their peak.

With the team adjusting to life without Sir Alex, Moyes was pushed out in eight months. Van Gaal was moved with a year of his contract remaining

Under Mourinho, United has splashed near on £400 million pounds to rebuild the squad with Romelu Lukaku a genuine asset up front. At the back, de Gea wallpapered his patchy defensive unit with great goalkeeping.

Much of that spending has missed that mark but last year, Mourinho masterminded United to second in the Premier League behind a rampant Manchester City, and back into the European Champions League via a win in the Europa League.

 

Discontent brewing

 

Discontent was brewing nevertheless. The Portuguese's pragmatic style annoyed fans who had grown accustomed to Ferguson's expansive attacking teams. That begs a question of those who hired Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho. Had they wanted attacking football in each game, they hired the wrong people.

In Mourinho's case, his preferred playing style precedes him.

When United soft pedalled in the transfer market this summer, the message was clear. Despite the results he had delivered, United wouldn't play ball the Mourinho way. The writing was on the wall.

People focus on a history of him staying at clubs typically for three years. That's not so unique these days, as the pressures of football have made coaches into short term project managers who must produce instant results or be gone.

"To stay a manager, to have four or five years to try to get a trophy and to improve and change the team?, he once said of media pressure on managers. "I don't think you allow that any more."

 

Short memories

 

His departure reminds us of how short memories are. United clinched their spot in the knockout round of the Champions League with a game to spare. Now that daggers are drawn, no one gives two hoots about that.

Mourinho may need a holiday from the stresses of football. With a windfall of more than £15 million pounds, he can certainly afford one. In addition, his Special One star has fallen but his resume is so long that new coaching jobs surely await him.

One sage even told me that Mourinho might do well to set his sights on international football where the pace is different from league football.

One of Mourinho's sins was managing the worst start to a United season in 28 years. Curiously, Ferguson was the manager in 1990 and after three modest seasons into his tenure at the club, he was on the verge of being fired with United 13th, when a 1990 FA Cup/League Cup double win saved him. The rest you know.

- Hubert Lawrence has made notes at track side since 1980.