Fans' View: What Have Manchester United Supporters Made of the Season so Far?
Back in September, Bleacher Report spoke to a group of Manchester United fans about what they had made of Jose Mourinho's start. After three wins in three games there was plenty of hope, and expectation for how the season would pan out.
We decided to check back in with them as the turn of the year approaches to see what they had made of the last few months.
First up is Tricia, who watches the Red Devils from Canada.
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"I was pretty optimistic back in September when we spoke that we would finish in second, but that looks very unlikely at this point. Still, I am not deflated. Speaking of deflation, how about that Arsenal. We are only four points out of fourth, and with Arsenal giving us Reds some Christmas cheer, we are due some luck.
"Some decisions, some bad finishing, some flat results have put us where we are. And I think the league fixtures in the rest of December—and through January—could be really good for us.
"I think we look about a third or fourth-place team and if we end up there, that’ll be about right. Still, we are progressing in all the cups and that’s good!
"I said in September that Mourinho needed to solve the puzzle of [Wayne] Rooney, [Anthony] Martial and [Phil] Jones. Whatever he has done to Phil Jones is working a treat, so hurrah! Still, he [Chris] Smalling and [Marcos] Rojo definitely have some catastrophic defensive error in them at a really critical juncture, so here’s hoping a shiny new world-class defender is under Jose’s tree on the 25th.
"The team seems in good spirits, despite our standing in the table—perhaps they sense it’s a bit of a false position. I would like to see us push and press more after going up a goal; we are sitting back and inviting teams on to us. We need to turn these frustrating draws into wins.
"I’m happy with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I wasn’t a fan of his signing, but he’s done a job. Still, I would love to see us go up a few goals in some games so [Marcus] Rashford and Martial have chances to play front instead of Zlatan.
"I’m totally sad-faced emoji over the situation with Morgan Schneiderlin; he was a very classy midfielder with some of the best stats in the league before we acquired him and we’ve broken him.
"I’m most pleased with [Ander] Herrera’s blossoming into a pivotal member of the midfield, and he’s annoying the opposition in the process. He’s so full of joyful snidery and he’s bristling with talent and purpose too.
"My Christmas wish is that [Marouane] Fellaini goes to Sunderland and helps them avoid the drop—I like Sunderland and have since Roy Kean was their gaffer, despite all the Poznan nonsense—and I hope Marouane becomes a Mackem hero far, far away from Old Trafford."
Bleacher Report's own Cal Gildart, a former regular in the Stretford End, had this to say:
"When we spoke at the start of the season, I said we'd go out in the group stage of the Europa League, reach the EFL Cup final and finish second. We've already exceeded one expectation and are on course to meet another.
"Second might seem like a long shot, but on December 10, Arsenal were top of the Premier League. Less than a week later, we were four points behind them. We're getting some great individual performances, but there's also a clear team spirit there—note the reaction at the end of the Crystal Palace game and Jones wading in to defend Rojo against West Bromwich Albion.
"There's been some fantastic football, and now it's been pretty much shown to have been by design, the manager's handling of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who's proved he's strong mentally while getting stronger physically, looks inspired."
Gildart referenced Matt Hughes of the Times, who wrote:
"Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s improved performances for Manchester United—he has scored in each of his past two matches—have been attributed by many at Old Trafford to his increased strength after being put on a weight-training programme by José Mourinho. The Armenia midfielder has put on 8lb since joining United last summer, when Mourinho judged him to be lacking the physicality required in the Premier League. Mkhitaryan started only one Premier League match before December, but had played in three games in a row before injuring his ankle after scoring United’s winner against Tottenham last weekend.
"
"United have had too many passengers, players seemingly unwilling to assume responsibility, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. That doesn't look to be the case now.
"Mourinho is doing just fine. He did appear to be letting his frustrations get the better of him at one stage, but United were letting victories slip away through profligacy. Besides, if kicking a water bottle occurred on the touchline at, say, Anfield, it'd be 'passion' rather than, as journalist Martin Samuel termed it in the Daily Mail, 'an act of anger and defiance.'
"Perhaps he felt the pressure would be on, but none of the performances since the Chelsea defeat should have left any Red wanting to arbitrarily smack bins, walls and the like in vexation.
"United fans, by and large, spent the last year of Louis van Gaal's reign saying they didn't care about the results as long as United were playing well. We have been—and the draws are becoming wins. And on that, the style clearly isn't down to the fact United are top-heavy. As Mourinho said after the West Brom match: 'At some clubs, it is to win that matters. At this club, it is how you win.'
"He seems to get that intangible it, a notion furthered by the fact he was willing to take time out and speak to fanzine United We Stand."
Aleczander Gallo, who curates one of Twitter's most consistently hilarious accounts @MUFC_Facebook says:
"It's been a very strange season. After the really promising start, things got generally quite awful in September and October. Apart from a few exceptions, mostly in cup competitions, United looked absolutely woeful. By mid-late October, I genuinely found myself wondering if Mourinho had a vision for this team at all. There was really no discernible style or identity in the team and Mourinho's big-game tactics appeared to be either outdated or absent.
"Soon after the Chelsea loss, however, performances started to pick up. The most horribly frustrating thing about this period was that despite the dominant performances, we either lacked the killer instinct or necessary luck to close out these games.
"These performances were genuinely very good; we absolutely bossed the majority of them. It was just very frustrating to me that Mourinho seemed content to sit on 1-0 leads and allow us to drop deep when defending them when it's clear that our players weren't dominant or confident enough to do so.
"Jose has probably had better centre-backs in every other club he has been at, so he needed to adjust and find the right balance in the midfield to allow for proper protection for the defence. And to his credit, the proper reintroduction of [Michael] Carrick to the XI in a midfield three with Herrera and [Paul] Pogba has been a great move.
"The last three or four games have been much more efficient and professional, built on a solid foundation.
"At the moment, we look good and capable of putting a run together. It's just a shame that we dropped so many points earlier on, because I genuinely believe that this is a team that should be challenging for the league this year.
"So while I was puzzled at some of Mourinho's bizarre tactics earlier on in the season, I have to give him credit for finding a great balance in the last few games. I also love the way that he challenges player mentality and perseverance; I think his approach to Mkhitaryan was unorthodox but undoubtedly effective.
"Patience has been the name of the game so far and it's all starting to fall into place as Mourinho finds his feet, but we should definitely be aware that we have not yet properly turned a corner and there will be more stumbles to come. I think that at the moment, a realistic goal would be top 4 and a trophy. And I am actually quite confident that we'll achieve something similar."
Abhay Sundaram, who follows United from Gurgaon, India, said:
"The last time we did this was on the cusp of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. United had been playing some free-flowing football, Zlatan was banging in the goals, but I remember feeling skeptical about it continuing against Pep Guardiola's side. And indeed, feared a reactionary recourse to turgid, results oriented football.
"Luckily, the latter hasn't come to pass. Despite the blip in results, United have gone from strength to strength. There is a cohesion in the way the side plays that was last seen in late 2012 and early 2013. The worry of course, is that two of the fundamental reasons to these performances are approaching middle age. Carrick and Ibrahimovic are vital to this side, and neither has a deputy anywhere approaching the same calibre.
"Apart from that though, things are looking great for United. Into the next round of Europa League, which I think they should attempt to win, semi-finals of the League Cup, which also presents an excellent opportunity for a trophy. And a generally upward trend in the league, though it is unclear how long that will continue.
"Mourinho deserves plenty of credit for the free-flowing football, the stable defence, all the great individual revivals ([Antonio] Valencia, [Wayne] Rooney, Jones, et al). He has also successfully integrated Mkhitaryan into the squad, which is a huge boost. I hope that Mkhi will help take the load off of Ibra a bit. That remains to be seen.
"Overall, I'd give Mourinho an 8/10 for his work so far. He has delivered good football, which should always be the priority for any manager at Old Trafford.
"One complaint I have against Mou, and I am afraid this is something that might never change, is his treatment of the younger players. [Luke] Shaw, Rashford and Martial have all dropped off from where they were last season. I guess Shaw is injured at the moment? If not his complete absence from the squad is mystifying. Rashford's plummeting form and confidence is even more heartbreaking.
"Of course, at 19, young Marcus has plenty of time to establish himself, and Mou could work the same magic on him that he has on Henrikh. Martial seems to be recovering some form but he has not started the last two games for United, overlooked for Rooney, which is not an encouraging sign.
"Top four looks doubtful currently, but if United win Europa and one of the two domestic cups, this would be as good a first season as we can hope from Mourinho as of now."
So there you have it, mixed reviews from our fans' panel but still plenty of optimism about the future.
What have you made of Mourinho's first few months? Have United turned a corner? Let us know in the comments below.
Quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.
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