Established 1961 27 Sports Wednesday, December 19, 2018 ‘Special One’ loses lustre as Jose Mourinho sacked from dream job Defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool proved the final straw LONDON: Jose Mourinho reportedly cried when he tain-raiser to the season, as a hat-trick of trophies. heard he had not been chosen as the heir to Alex United’s highest league finish since Ferguson’s Ferguson’s throne at Manchester United. Once he final- retirement followed last season but it was still only sec- ly landed his dream job he only lasted two-and-a-half ond best to local rivals Manchester City and by a years before leaving Old Trafford with his reputation record 19-point margin. seriously tarnished. The axe finally fell on the Portuguese yesterday, an POGBA POWER STRUGGLE increasingly inevitable divorce as Mourinho fell out The seeds of disharmony were also sown last season. with senior squad members, blamed his superiors for a Mourinho routinely dropped the club’s most expensive lack of backing in the transfer market and oversaw a ever signing, £89 million ($113 million) midfielder Paul drastic deterioration in performances and results on Pogba, to start a power struggle he has ultimately lost. the pitch. Pogba sat on the bench for the full 90 minutes at Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool, which Anfield on Sunday and has not started any of United’s left United 19 points behind the Premier League leaders past three league games. The French World Cup winner after just 17 games, proved the final straw. After David was not alone. Mourinho was stinging in his public crit- Moyes and Louis van Gaal, a third manager sacked in icism of Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial among others. four years suggests there is far more to be fixed behind The man who introduced himself to English football the scenes at the world’s richest club than a new name as the “Special One” and proved it by delivering on the manager’s door. Chelsea’s first league title for 50 years was now the Former club captain Gary Neville raged at a club surly one. In a recurring theme from his third season at “rotten to the core” when rumours over Mourinho’s Real Madrid and the third season of his second spell at future first circulated and after the Liverpool defeat Chelsea, Mourinho’s message quickly fell on deaf ears. described United’s board as “so naive it’s unbelievable”. Without his confidant and assistant for 17 years, Rui But Mourinho did little to help himself, particularly Faria, who left United in May, Mourinho became even MANCHESTER: In this file photo taken on October 22, 2018 Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose in a short-lived third season, which has become an more volatile. The United board also seemed to lose Mourinho watches his players, including Manchester United’s French midfielder Paul Pogba (3L), as he attends a unwanted hallmark of his managerial career. His faith just months after handing Mourinho a new con- training session at the Carrington Training complex in Manchester, north west England. —AFP departure from Old Trafford came a day after the tract until 2020 in January. third anniversary of his sacking from a second spell at A number of signing targets earmarked by the man- Chelsea just six months after winning the title with ager to improve United’s central defence in the summer Manchester City and Liverpool and have already con- “The most important job of football is entertaining the Blues. were apparently deemed no better than options already ceded more league goals in the current campaign than the people because it is only football and nothing else,” For the first time since leaving provincial Portuguese in the squad by the club’s hierarchy, led by executive in the whole of last season. said Klopp earlier this season on his personal duel with side Uniao de Leiria for local giants Porto in 2002, vice-chairman Ed Woodward. His cautious nature also clashed with the 20-time Guardiola. Mourinho leaves a club having failed to win a league Mourinho’s success has always been built on solid English champions’ tradition of attacking football. Even Mourinho has always been more pragmatic. But as title. He did deliver silverware, winning the League Cup foundations. Having not conceded more than twice in more galling for United fans was to see fierce rivals his previous spells in Madrid and at Stamford Bridge and Europa League in his debut season, and even one match for 22 months, United shipped three goals City and Liverpool under Pep Guardiola and Jurgen show, when a results-driven manager starts losing, claiming the Community Shield, a glorified friendly cur- each time in defeats to Brighton, Tottenham, West Ham, Klopp marrying success with entertaining football. there is nothing left to save his job. — AFP Pochettino focused on Man United face major Spurs amid overhaul after wreckage United talk of Mourinho era LONDON: As Manchester United and also advanced to the Champions LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino insists he is survey the wreckage of Jose League last 16 after an impressive focused on doing his best for Tottenham amid Mourinho’s reign, the troubled club’s draw at Barcelona last week. reports he is the leading candidate to replace hierarchy would be wise to swallow Pochettino is yet to win a trophy Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. their pride and copy the successful with Tottenham but he could be the Tottenham manager Pochettino was installed blueprint established by bitter rivals man to galvanise United, with as the bookmakers’ favourite to take charge Manchester City. Ferguson’s former assistant coach at Old Trafford after Mourinho was sacked by Mourinho was sacked by United Rene Meulensteen saying his old club United yesterday. yesterday as the Portuguese coach have lost their identity. United are expected to appoint a caretak- paid the price for the team’s worst “You hear people talking about er manager this week to lead the troubled start to a season since 1990. Now how United have lost their identity team for the rest of the season. That would the focus at Old Trafford turns to and that’s what you see among the give them time to tempt Pochettino to leave BARCELONA: File photo shows Tottenham Hotspur’s Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino (L) the search for Mourinho’s succes- players. There is no really clear direc- Tottenham, where he has established a repu- celebrates his team’s qualification for the next round during the UEFA Champions League sor and the club’s plan to escape tion,” Meulensteen told the BBC. tation as one of the brightest young managers group B football match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at the Camp Nou stadi- the rut they have been stuck in Zidane, 46, has impeccable cre- in Europe during his four-year reign. um in Barcelona. -—FP since Alex Ferguson retired after dentials, which would ensure he Pochettino refused to completely rule out winning their most recent Premier would be respected by a United any interest in the United job, which might League title in 2013. squad that grew sick of Mourinho’s appeal to him given the club’s vast resources of today’s League Cup quarter-final at ality and dour tactics. United, languishing 11 points adrift relentless hard-nosed approach. One in contrast to Tottenham, who failed to sign a Arsenal. “I cannot answer this type of ques- Pochettino wouldn’t comment on the rea- of the top four, hope to announce a of the finest players of his generation single player in the summer transfer window. tion because rumours happen. I want to sons for Mourinho’s downfall, but admitted he caretaker manager, with strong links with Juventus, Real Madrid and But the 46-year-old, whose has led deliver my best at this football club.” felt sorry to see his friend sacked after just to the club, to see out the rest of the France, Zidane pulled off the tricky Tottenham to third in the Premier League and Although Pochettino is yet to win a trophy two-and-a-half years in charge of United. season within 48 hours. Regardless of task of making the transition to the a place in the Champions League last 16 this with Tottenham, he has caught the eye by “First of all I want to send my best wishes to that temporary solution, it is the long- dug-out. season, insists he is only concerned with his establishing a stylish side made up of flour- him. I feel so sorry,” Pochettino said. “I have a term direction of an increasingly rud- In just three years as Madrid boss current team at present. ishing youngsters and astute signings. His very good relationship with Jose, he is a good derless club that most concerns he won three Champions League “After nearly five years there is a lot of commitment to an attacking game-plan and friend, it is sad news. “It is not my business United fans. titles and one La Liga crown before rumours about my position as manager at his friendly relationship with his players is a what has happened in another club. I send my Tottenham manager Mauricio surprisingly leaving at the end of last Tottenham,” Pochettino told reporters ahead stark contrast to Mourinho’s acerbic person- best wishes to Jose.” — AFP Pochettino is the bookmakers’ season. United legend Ryan Giggs, favourite to replace Mourinho, with now the Wales boss, and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe missed out on European competition.