What is the “right attitude” for Manchester United that Jose Mourinho keeps mentioning
Manchester United lost some steam in their pursuit of winning the Premier League title by losing to newly promoted Huddersfield Town over the weekend. It’s an embarrassing defeat by any standards, and a missing opportunity for three points that put United further away from their chase of bitter rivals Manchester City, who now sit comfortably in first place.
Manager Jose Mourinho blamed the defeat on his players’ attitude, but then just what is the “right” attitude for this team to possess?
By Eduard Banulescu
After all, Manchester United is the most highly decorated club in England, with 42 major trophies. It’s only Liverpool that comes close having won 41, but Anfield are somehow often associated with a by-gone era. The season started well enough for United, but not being able to win important points when they’re most needed (and easy to get for that matter) could be telling of how the rest of the campaign will turn out.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful British manager ever, and the man Manchester United are still looking to replace four years later is emblematic of United’s winning culture. However, even Fergie had his difficult moments.
In his autobiography, Ferguson recalls the darkest period of his career, the 1989-90 season that nearly saw him sacked. Having practically reconstructed the team, buying 16 players and selling 18 at the start of the season, they were undergoing a transition period which saw them closer to relegation than top of the table.
Yet, under the pressure of having the ‘the worst record of any United manager of modern times,” in desperate need of a Cup victory against Derby County, Ferguson managed to rally his players around him and win the tie. The manager was provided more time by the board and things quickly turned around. The next season, a more confident Manchester United won the European Cup-Winners’ Cup.
Ferguson’s fighting spirit reflected on his players’ attitude and helped remind them of club objectives.
The club grew.
In one of the most well-known moments in modern football, United managed to overturn in the space of only a few minutes Bayern Munich’s lead to win the Champions League trophy. Lead by Roy Keane, a player who personified the team’s fighting spirit, Manchester United ended up winning the treble during that famous 1998-1999 season.
It was a classic example of United refusing to give-up and winning in the end.
The winning spirit shines through not only when earning trophies but also in being able to rise above difficult periods. United are currently in a good position, one of the contenders to win the Premier League and in the mix for the Champions League.
However, they have yet to prove that they can win in vital moments.
Jose Mourinho singled out Ander Herrera for commenting about the team’s attitude and asked that each player responsible for the performance against Huddersfield explain himself what had happened. It’s interesting and perhaps telling that Mourinho would choose to use Herrera as an example, given that the player is regarded as one of United’s future leaders.
“I don’t even remember a friendly match when our attitude was so poor. The best team won today and they deserved it,” Mourinho said.
It’s no secret that Manchester United are still searching for their “new Roy Keane,” a player that can be their catalyst just by his sheer presence.
They need a player that boosts morale and dedicates himself entirely to the team no matter whether playing against a newly promoted side or in a Champions League semi-final. If Manchester United are to win the EPL title, they will need the winning spirit, the “do or die attitude,” from all the members of their squad.
Manchester United have a very good squad this season, but they still need to prove that they can win in times when they need it most.
Eduard Banulescu is a European football fan, writer and musician. He contributes music, sports and cryptocurrency articles on www.footballcoin.io and www.alt77.com. He hopes you enjoy the quality of his articles here at The Sports Bank.