Manchester United spends the most money and gets the most poisonous beating, and Mourinho is urgently needed to set things right and reorganize the situation

> The Premier League has just passed two rounds, and five teams among the traditional BIG6 giants have ranked in the top six, with only one team deeply trapped in the relegation zone - Manchester United ranked 16th.

More ironic is that this summer, Manchester United spent 230 million euros in the transfer market, introducing strong players such as Sheshko, Mbermo and Cunya, becoming the club with the most investment in the Premier League. However, the huge investment is in exchange for the shameful ending of not winning two rounds of the league and being eliminated by the League Two team Greensby.

At the same time, Mourinho, who had just been fired by Fenerbahce, is staying at home. The 62-year-old "special member" once said privately that he would be willing to walk back to Manchester if he could coach Manchester again.

01 Huge investment, dismal returns

Manchester United's operations this summer window are jaw-dropping. The club spent 77 million euros to sign forward Sheshko, 75 million euros to acquire Brentford's attacker Mbermo, 74 million euros to introduce Wolves's Cunya, and even spent 4 million euros to win a young player. The huge investment of

230 million euros has made Manchester United the club with the most investment in the Premier League summer window. However, in terms of selling people, Manchester United has zero income: Rashford, Watley, and Collier are all just loaned, Lindelof and Erikson leave the team freely, and veteran Evans retires.

The huge investment is in sharp contrast with the dismal achievements. After two rounds of Premier League matches, Manchester United only achieved a record of 1 draw and 1 loss, ranking 16th in the league, and was deeply involved in the relegation zone.

What is even more incredible is that in the British League Cup, Manchester United was eliminated by the English League Two (Fourth League) team Greensby. According to Opta's strength ranking, Manchester United ranks 28th in the world, while Greensby ranks only 1304th.

02 Internal and external troubles, the locker room is out of control

Manchester United's dilemma is not accidental. Since Sir Ferguson retired, the club has been unable to solve the problem of instability in the internal tactical system.

The locker room problem has always been a chronic disease for Manchester United. As early as 2022, Manchester United CEO Arnold angrily complained about the team's recruitment history, pointing out that the team has spent 1 billion pounds on players, but the effect is very small.

Arnold directly hinted at the time that there were "two major cancers" in the locker room. Although he did not name it, it can be seen from the departure of the team that the finger was directly pointed at Pogba and Lingard. It was revealed that the two players had been entertaining themselves after losing at Manchester United and danced in the locker room.

Now, the locker room problem still exists. Garnacho is becoming a new problem for Manchester United. Like Rashford back then, he began to breed a sense of "privileges": publicly criticizing the "bad" season, questioning the coach's decision, and hinting at the possibility of leaving the team.

03 Mourinho: The gains and losses of Manchester United's time

Mourinho actually achieved quite good results during his coaching period at Manchester United. He led the team to second place in the Premier League and also won an UEFA Cup trophy. This period is considered to be one of the most eye-catching periods for Manchester United since Sir Ferguson retired.

Mourinho showed strong leadership when coaching Manchester United. Although he encountered many difficulties, he still tried his best to unite the players. He was able to adapt whether in the face of internal conflicts or insufficient resources.

However, Mourinho's Manchester United career ended in regret. In December 2018, he was fired by Manchester United after losing 1-3 to Liverpool away. Although the direct reason is that he has a poor record, the deeper reason is that he has had a falling out with some players led by Pogba and has lost control of the locker room.

After Mourinho left the team, Manchester United experienced four official coaches, namely Ole Gunnar, Ronnick, Tenhamher and Amorin, as well as two interim coaches, Carrick and Fanny's, but none of them could lead Manchester United back to the top.

04 Mourinho's coaching career is also full of ups and downs after leaving Manchester United. In November 2019, he replaced Pochettino as Tottenham head coach.

In 86 games of Tottenham Hotspur, he achieved 45 wins, 17 draws and 24 losses, with a winning rate of only 52.33%, which is his lowest winning rate since 2002.

What is even more regrettable is that Mourinho did not win any trophy during his time at Tottenham, which is the first time since 2002 that he left a club without winning the trophy.

In 2021, Mourinho took over the Serie A Roma team. In his early days in coaching Roma, he had a very harmonious relationship with senior and players. He led Roma to win the first European Cup, which is also the only European championship in Roma's history.

However, in the late period of Rome, Mourinho had tense relations with the referee and the media, and the locker room even regarded Carlsdorp as a "insider". In January 2024, Roma finally fired Mourinho, who was in trouble on and off the field.

In July 2024, Mourinho accepted the invitation from the Turkish Super League team Fenerbahce, which was also the first time he left the stage of the five major leagues in 20 years. However, in Fenerbahce, he was dismissed again due to tensions in his relationship with the board.

05 Where does Manchester United go?

Today's Manchester United can be said to be internal and external troubles. Not only does the team have a poor record, but it also faces pressure from the rules of financial fairness. Manchester United's missed European stadium this season will lead to a financial black hole of about £80 million.

Manchester United needs to be completely subverted. Experts suggest that Manchester United should establish a "sellable culture", that is, if the offer is appropriate, anyone can sell it. This includes Garnacho and Menu: if they want to change the environment, they should be allowed.

At the same time, Manchester United needs to sign for the club, not for the coach. Last year, Manchester United pursued the signing strategy of "one coach and one board of directors": Tenhag signed Ajax's old subordinates, and the board of directors signed a Ligue 1 player. This approach is obviously undesirable.

More importantly, there is someone to take responsibility for the Manchester United management. Two years after Inex's entry, no one can explain the role of "bicycle director" Brellsford on the football board. Brellsford himself admitted to being "non-football expert", and Manchester United's results are the result of his "participation in decision-making".

06 Whether Mourinho can return to put out the fire

Although Mourinho's coaching career has been bumpy in recent years, he still has his unique advantages. Mourinho's advantage is that he can quickly adapt to complex environments and maximize the existing resources.

Although the small investment in funds caused him a lot of restrictions, he did not stop. He led Manchester United to the UEFA Cup and had a good season. These achievements let everyone know that Mourinho's ability to adapt to difficulties is beyond the reach of others.

What Manchester United needs most now is not a tactical master, but a despicable warrior like Mourinho. Moreover, Ancelotti was able to turn back to Real Madrid when he went to Everton. Why couldn’t Mourinho return to Manchester United?

Although Mourinho hopes to return to Manchester United to prove himself, it is estimated that Manchester United management will not give him this opportunity. From Manchester United to Tottenham, from Tottenham to Roma, from Roma to Fenerbahce, Mourinho has been fired by four teams in a row, and the level of the teams he coaches is also showing a significant downward trend.

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Manchester United fans will never forget the European Super Cup that summer in 2017. Mourinho stood at the sideline, his eyes were full of torches, and the scene of leading the team to defeat Real Madrid to win the championship is still vivid in my mind.

Now, the voices of "Marinho is back to put out the fire" echo in the stands in Old Trafford. Behind these calls is the fans' desire for the iron-blooded spirit and the deep nostalgia for the glorious years.

But there has never been a simple way to return in the football world. Can Mourinho's tactical philosophy and management methods adapt to Manchester United in the new era? Will Manchester United management be willing to let go of past grudges?

The answer floats in the wind.