Hyperbole?
Maybe.
Knee-jerk? Perhaps. But Manchester United’s 3-1 win at Bournemouth to start their Premier League campaign is cause for serious optimism.
It took just 90 minutes to convince the world that they were finally on the incline back from the post Fergie era and there were five factors evident from this new team that suggests that anyone who finishes above them will win the league.
Jose Mourinho
He expects.
He doesn’t accept second best. He doesn’t accept his teams not scoring, not playing to the system, not playing to the standards both he and Manchester United command.
Whatever you think of him, however sure it is that he eventually just cracks up in the third season or however defensive or spoiling that you think his football might be, Jose Mourinho always builds good teams. He always builds championship-winning teams and already you can see the confidence his players are exuding just because he is there now steering the ship.
He’s also the reason why some of world’s biggest names want to come to Old Trafford despite no promise of Champions League football.
It took United four games to hit three goals last season.
It took them 64 minutes this season.
The Mourinho effect pic.twitter.com/aNpEd4BiJ8
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 14, 2016
Signings
Yes, they’re all bloody good players, world class individuals that are going to create a fine side but they were exactly the sort of names that Manchester United needed.
Nothing else would’ve done during this off-season but bringing the likes of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic into the squad to rid them of the apathy of the last three years.
These guys come in now and have elevated the rest of them, just their mere presence has done that. It’s almost been a reminder to the rest of them that they’re at United here. United. Look around you, this is one of the biggest clubs in the world so you’d better start behaving like it again.
The spirit in the team also seems to have been helped by the introduction of fresh, new characters.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJDIEZCh-qJ/?taken-by=iamzlatanibrahimovic&hl=en
Defence
Mourinho likes to build a team around the defence but he’s already inherited a fine back five at Old Trafford.
Antonio Valencia is one of the most underrated full backs around. He’s smart, strong and he’s put out far too many fires for the club in the last three seasons. Now he’s linking with Zlatan and it is deadly.
Luke Shaw is back – before his injury last year, he was on course for a player of the season award.
Chris Smalling with Eric Bailly is going to be uncompromising and, behind them, they have the best goalkeeper on the planet. And he’s happy to be there.
Work. Excitement. Sacrifice. Comradeship. Passion. @premierleague is back. pic.twitter.com/vY8zyTBbyR
— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) August 12, 2016
Wayne Rooney
He’s not as good as he used to be, absolutely not. His career would make a lot more sense if he was actually five years older than everyone thought he was.
But now he’s not front and centre of the team. Now he’s not the main man and he’s certainly not untouchable. In fact, if he’s playing well now, it’s just a supplement.
They don’t need him anymore. Not with Rashford or Ibra, not with Mata or Martial or Mkhitaryan. They don’t need him and that it is his strength.
Rooney can’t afford to be anything less than mightily impressive. He has to force Mourinho to keep him on the team. And, in fairness, for a man who’s just three goals off Bobby Charlton’s scoring record, that’s hardly a bad thing having him fired up and on his toes all season. It’s hardly something he’s incapable of.
No Champions League
You know the craic with this by now.
Listen, United are back.
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