Jose Mourinho: A year after his Chelsea meltdown, Special One’s swagger is finally back back as he aims for Manchester United glory
Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have come good and Manchester United are fast closing the gap on noisy neighbours City
THE SWAGGER is back. That air of control, of confidence in his destiny.
A year after his meltdown at Chelsea was complete, Jose Mourinho is back.
A look at the league table might suggest otherwise. But Manchester United are on the right track.
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Mourinho’s personal duel with Pep Guardiola no longer looks like one he is destined to lose.
In the last week, the Manchester City boss talked about getting the sack and fielded questions about his style of play.
In the meantime, Mourinho’s professional rehabilitation continued. So does United’s.
City won their first ten games in all competitions this season and looked like disappearing over the horizon.
But now there are just six points between them and United.
Indeed, it is amazing to consider Mourinho and Guardiola have exactly the same record now from 26 games if you take into account all competitions, including the Community Shield.
It is 15 wins, six draws and five defeats for both. But while City have been wobbling of late, it is United who are getting stronger.
Once more we have football from the Red Devils that can be watched. The game against Tottenham was regarded by many as the best at Old Trafford in three years.
It seemed like this could be a very short love affair for Mourinho when, back on October 23, he was humiliated 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.
City were riding high on top of the league and United languished in seventh. Guardiola was the Messiah, while Mourinho was just a very naughty boy.
But the Portuguese is made of steely stuff. He may be only a place higher in the league now but this is a very different looking United team.
Since then, United have lost just once in 12 games, away to Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
Apart from that, every game they have played has looked like progress.
The draws at home to Burnley, Arsenal and West Ham and away to Everton deserved to be wins.
Victories over Tottenham and against Crystal Palace were coming and they visit West Brom this evening in buoyant mood. Mourinho said: “It was good to see the boys tired but happy after the game at Palace.
“I was always positive to them. I was always positive in the dressing room after disappointing results. The way we have been playing and working for a long time gives us stability to know we are going in the right direction. But we need results. These last two victories, and six points from a team which had consecutive draws, was very important.”
Paul Pogba has found his feet, his confidence and his authority. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his drought behind him, has 14 goals to his name already and is hungry for more.
Next year the United title charge will come[/caption]
In the meantime it is about getting back into the top four, which will be no mean feat given the teams currently in those Champions League spots.
Mourinho added: “What we have to try to do in the matches left this year is be in a position that gives us a chance in the second part of the season.
“We are playing well and if we transform performances into results we have a chance.”
Meanwhile, forward Anthony Martial has expressed his frustration at being unable to pin down a permanent place in Mourinho’s side.
The Frenchman, 21, said: “It’s difficult because all you want is to be able to help the team and when you’re on the bench you can’t. But these are choices and you have to accept it.”