Jorge Mendes Talks Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United and More
Super agent Jorge Mendes believes former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is a "genius," something only Jose Mourinho can replicate in the Premier League.
Mendes, who brought Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria to Old Trafford in the summer, also offered something of a dig at Louis van Gaal, suggesting Ferguson would have at least 12 more points than the Dutchman this season.
While Mendes says United chief executive Ed Woodward was "the right guy to drive Manchester United to find a way to win important trophies," he suggests the club doesn't have the manager to do the same, reported by Dan Roan of BBC Sport:
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
"He (Woodward) has just one problem - it's completely impossible to find someone like Sir Alex Ferguson because he's a god, he's a genius and to find a genius is very difficult. You have one in England - Jose Mourinho.
Having Sir Alex Ferguson ensures at this moment you have 12 or 15 points more. He's finished his career, but he's someone that's the difference.
"
Mourinho's tenure at Chelsea isn't going to end anytime soon, according to Mendes. "Jose will stay for sure," he said. "He will be the Sir Alex Ferguson of Chelsea Football Club. He loves the supporters, he loves the city and I think he will stay there for more than 10 years."
Interestingly, using Mendes' math, United would currently be above Mourinho's Chelsea if Ferguson was still boss at Old Trafford this term.
While it's fair to say Mendes' criticism of Van Gaal isn't pronounced, his comments suggest United should have replaced Ferguson with Mourinho, a potential choice which was heavily reported before David Moyes took over.
To have a manager who can eek out points where there should be none is something which pushed United to the top of the tree over so many seasons, a trait which is being replicated at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea didn't play particularly well during the Capital One Cup semi-final double-bill with Liverpool, yet they snuck through 2-1 after 210 minutes of football. Manchester City battered Thibaut Courtois' goal in west London on Saturday—10 shots to the Blues' three, per WhoScored.com—but Chelsea fought to a 1-1 draw against their only Premier League title rivals.
These are matches where the team haven't performed to their capability, yet they still returned positive results. At the Ferguson and Mourinho level, name alone provides an extra feeling of dread for the opposition. There's a notion that these managers won't stop fighting and probing to find a breakthrough. Van Gaal is yet to install this type of fear into the opposition at United.
The Red Devils' 3-0 win over Cambridge United was nothing more than formality on Tuesday night, but it underlined the restlessness of Van Gaal's reign, noted by Oliver Kay of The Times:
Once again players were shunted out of position in a strangely transitional formation. Wayne Rooney's attacking power remains suffocated in midfield, Van Persie is oddly isolated up top and Di Maria's free role sees him flit in and out of games. There's a sense that things are being made up on the spot—not like when Ferguson was in charge—but at least the Dutchman is trying to teach his team to play in new ways.
Whether the constant formation switches work out will define Van Gaal's tenure. It's likely things will settle next season when he has more time to buy the players he wants. With Mendes' comments in mind, one has to remember the Ferguson and Mourinho stature was built after they both had time to implement their visions.
Once Van Gaal has time to do the same, it will be interesting to see whether his self-confidence and ruthlessness turn him into another Premier League "genius."
