Confirmation that Van Gaal was not informed about the decision to sack him until AFTER the FA Cup final win against Crystal Palace has inspired Koeman to offer up these feisty comments.
Advertisement
Announcing the appointment, United’s Ed Woodward said: “José is quite simply the best manager in the game today”.
“To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game”, Mourinho said in an earlier statement.
Mourinho is known for bringing a set of players who are set to give it all to the team and the manager would expect to do the same if Niguez does sign for the club.
Mourinho said an “empathy” had built up between him and the club’s fans over the years in which he brought opposing teams to Old Trafford.
He added: “I’m looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years”.
Mourinho’s excitement to be taking over a club with a “mystique and a romance” is clear, as is his desire to revive United’s ailing fortunes.
However, he’s joining a Premier League season that will see the likes of Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, and Jurgen Klopp all coaching together.
“It comes in the right moment in my career because Manchester United is one of these clubs where you need really to be prepared for it because it is what I used to call a giant club”.
And if something fundamental to Mourinho’s management is sensible decision-making, surely he will take into account what seems clear from the case of Van Gaal – that failure to deliver attractive football at United is ultimately not tolerated. This is the reason why I think it is fantastic to be part of English football.
Mourinho has been given a three-year contract, which British media estimated being worth between 30 million and 45 million pounds ($43.99-$65.98 million).
The Portuguese, 53, has won multiple league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Portugal and led both Porto and Inter Milan to success in the Champions League.
United’s fifth-place finish under Van Gaal this season meant they failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second time since Ferguson left. He is now entangled in a legal case with former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro, whom Mourinho undermined by accusing her of being “naive” for treating an injured player on the field during a Premier League game.
At Inter, he won the Champions League, Italian league and Italian Cup treble in 2010 before moving to Madrid.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who worked with Mourinho at Inter Milan, is one target and on Thursday he hinted a move to Old Trafford could be on the cards.
Mourinho will hope to make significant improvements to an unbalanced and often lacklustre United squad before the new season begins in August.
Advertisement
And former England striker Owen is clearly excited by Mourinho’s arrival at the club.
