Manchester United Players Reportedly Think Jose Mourinho Is 1 Loss from the Sack

Manchester United players and staff reportedly believe that manager Jose Mourinho is one defeat away from losing his job. 

According to Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail, the consensus at Carrington is that defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Sunday would potentially be enough for the club's hierarchy to act.

"There is the same sense of inevitability that surrounded Louis van Gaal’s final days in 2016 before he was replaced by Mourinho, with players now talking about the possibility of Zinedine Zidane becoming manager," Wheeler said. 

A source quoted by Wheeler added, "they are saying he will be gone soon."

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It's reported that some feel as though the dismissal will come as early as Sunday should United fail to pick any points up against Burnley, whereas others expect the Portuguese to be axed in September.

United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is said to want continuity at the club after the departures of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal in the four years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Mourinho only agreed a contract extension with the club in January, with his deal running until 2020.

According to Wheeler, while the players haven't turned against Mourinho, morale within the group is at a low point.

The report is at odds with a piece from Miguel Delaney of The Independent from Tuesday, in which it's said the prospect of Mourinho being sacked is not yet being discussed seriously at Old Trafford.

The pressure on the United boss comes after a challenging beginning to 2018-19 for the team, with back-to-back losses against Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur in their last two games. Per Match of the Day, it was the manner of the latter defeat that was striking:

For United, the start of the season has been turbulent. Not only have they struggled to get themselves together on the pitch, the club didn't do sufficient business in the transfer market, with the only new acquisition starting games in the opening weeks of the season being Fred.

Mourinho's demeanour and mannerisms have cast a shadow over the club. Throughout pre-season he was persistently negative and as a result there was little sense of a team with momentum from the outset of this term.

As noted by Delaney, Mourinho has a history of losing a grip on things in his third season in charge:

Regardless of how much time the board want to give the manager, if the team were to slump to a loss against Burnley on Sunday it would ramp up the pressure on Mourinho even more and, with the upcoming international break, give the higher-ups a fortnight to ponder their options.

It means the trip to Turf Moor is among the most crucial matches in Mourinho's United tenure. After all the flak that's come the way of the coach and his players, Red Devils supporters will be expecting a response.