Manchester United End-of-Season Awards Party Date Adds to Jose Mourinho Rumours

Manchester United’s Player of the Year awards will be held unprecedentedly early this season, with reports suggesting this might be due to the anticipated arrival of Jose Mourinho, the man tipped to replace current manager Louis van Gaal. 

According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils will host the annual dinner on May 2, when the club will still have four games of the season remaining. 

Luckhurst explained that in the 10 editions of the club's Player of the Year awards, it’s been held seven times following the penultimate game of the term and three times after the season has finished. It’s also noted in the piece the club have pushed back the date for season-ticket renewals “amid the likelihood Mourinho will take over as manager in the summer.”

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According to Luckhurst, Mourinho has agreed to replace the Dutchman for next season, although a contract has yet to be signed.

At the 2015 awards, Van Gaal made a memorable speech that enhanced his popularity among the supporters. Here’s a reminder of what he had to say:

The rescheduling may well be in keeping with what’s set to be a hectic finish to the season for the Red Devils.

Not only will Van Gaal seek to reel in Arsenal and secure a spot in the top four of the Premier League in the final weeks of the campaign, but he’ll lead the club out at Wembley for the FA Cup final on May 21, as United go in search of their first piece of silverware in three years. Perhaps, the club simply decided to get the dinner out of the way.

As noted here by MisterChip, the Dutchman does have a particular penchant for finishing seasons strongly with football clubs:

Mourinho is a manager many United supporters would love to see take the club forward. The Portuguese is a winner, a Premier League champion and the kind of brash personality the crowd at Old Trafford takes to. 

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There is inevitably some baggage when it comes to Mourinho. Sports journalist Jacqui Oatley doesn’t think the Portuguese is the right kind of fit for a club with United’s values:

Van Gaal is paving the way for a bright future at the football club, with the integration of youngsters like Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford likely to have a huge impact for many years to come. Nevertheless, the Old Trafford crowd have had to endure some testing afternoons under his tutelage this term, and there will be fears of similar spells again should he remain.

Putting these awards forward would certainly allow Van Gaal and his players to focus squarely on what should be a fascinating end to the campaign. A top-four finish and FA Cup win would be a wonderful way to sign off his tenure and a tremendous foundation upon which Mourinho or any other successor could potentially build.