Jose Mourinho Reportedly Wouldn't Reject Manchester United as Odds Are Slashed

Former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has issued a "come-and-get-me plea" to Manchester United as Louis van Gaal's reign as manager at Old Trafford begins to severely falter.

The Red Devils made it no wins in six in all competitions on Saturday as they capitulated 2-1 to Norwich City in the Premier League, leading bookmakers to slash Mourinho's odds of becoming the next United boss to 11-8 on, according to the Sun's Mike McGrath.

McGrath states a poll of supporters on former United fanzine Red Issue's website suggested the United faithful want Mourinho to take over, with 80 per cent voting for LvG's immediate dismissal. The former Real Madrid boss is said to be keen on taking over if the Dutchman leaves United, telling a friend, per McGrath: “There are some jobs you don’t turn down.”

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The self-proclaimed Special One appears keen to reaffirm his reputation as a world-class manager, and with United in turmoil, a switch to the Theatre of Dreams is on the cards. 

United's season has collapsed around them, and they have gone from title contenders to out of the top four in a matter of weeks. The team has lost form and consistency, and a major injury crisis has seen Van Gaal unable to stop the slide.

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According to BBC Sport, the former Netherlands coach is "worried" about his position, and when asked whether he fears the sack, he replied: "Yes of course I am worried about that because I know that belief in a manager is very important."

It was clear the belief has drained from the Old Trafford crowd, as LvG was roundly booed from the pitch as he walked from the dug out to the tunnel on Saturday evening.

Oliver Holt of the Mail On Sunday declared United are now close to "hitting the panic button" as Mourinho "waits in the wings" for an immediate route back into English football, writing:

"

When Sir Alex Ferguson retired as United boss, it was widely felt that Mourinho would not be right for the philosophy of the club. United were empire-builders then. 

They craved the solidity and the longevity of another Ferguson, someone to build a new dynasty. There was opposition to the shock-jock philosophy of Mourinho. 

The grand old men of the club, people like Sir Bobby Charlton, distrusted the idea that Mourinho would come in and win trophies but traumatise the club in the process and leave after a maximum of three years. Mourinho was passed over.

But now things have changed. Sir Bobby’s influence has waned and United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, is a man who would jump at a trophy signing like Mourinho to buy himself a bit more time after the mess he has overseen since he succeeded the former chief executive, David Gill.

"

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Charlton and Ferguson oversaw the installation of David Moyes as United boss, and the spectacular failure of the appointment will loosen their say if Woodward admires Mourinho.

United have a unique opportunity to hire one of the greatest coaches of his generation, and he will be motivated to succeed after Chelsea showed no faith in his ability to turn events around after consistently poor results this term.

Mourinho hasn't suddenly become a bad coach overnight. He has had a shelf life at every club he has managed, but he galvanises football teams and has achieved unprecedented success. 

United are desperate to once again sit on the top of the tree in the Premier League, and hiring the man who took Chelsea to the title a matter of months ago would make sense as Van Gaal has proved he does not have the philosophy to create success for the Red Devils.