Manchester United legend Lee Sharpe believes Jose Mourinho may well be out of a job by Christmas. Tensions at the club are rumored to be mounting following a slow start to the season and the manager’s repeated criticism of his own players.
Jose Mourinho approached his third season in charge of Manchester United expecting a struggle. “For us, it will be a difficult season because I had my plans, and I had my plans for many months, and I started the Premier League season without a situation I thought was possible,” he told reporters in early August.
His prognosis turned out to be correct. United succumbed to a humbling 3-2 defeat to Brighton in their second Premier League game of the season. It’s not just the result that fans of the Red Devils are angry with. It’s also what many have perceived as endless grumbling from Jose Mourinho.
“I am expecting the manager to get sacked before Christmas,” Lee Sharpe told Sky Sports. “If he is going to continue with this dourness and this moaning, then people will turn around and say this attitude is not getting us to the top so we need to change it.”
“Mourinho looks fed up”
Sharpe, a three time Premier League winner with United, believes the Portuguese’s gloomy attitude is affecting the team’s morale. The former England international also thinks this may cost the manager his job.
“It just seems same old same old. As much as the press and fans have been on Jose Mourinho’s case about the negativity over the past few seasons and him moaning about players he has and has not got, he just seems to ignore everybody and carry on as usual.”
“He looks fed up and it is reflecting in his team’s performances. He is playing negative stuff,” Sharpe went on to say.
Mourinho’s history of criticizing United players
Mourinho has been accused of publicly blaming his players for underwhelming results. Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba came under criticism last season. Anthony Martial‘s commitment to the club has been called into question rcently. Mourinho even seemed to bemoan the level of United’s youth players during the summer training period.
“One of the things you respected about Sir Alex Ferguson is that he kept things in house. It was done in his office and the dressing room. Nothing ever went to the press in terms of issues he had with players. I think Mourinho could do with taking a leaf out of his book and using that. Nobody digs out their players in public. He is hanging them out to dry,” Sharpe said of his former manager.
Zinedine ZIdane, a possible successor?
Manchester United officials still publicly back Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, rumors of former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, taking over, endure. Zidane is the bookies’ favorite to replace Mourinho. Among those listed with a chance of occupying Manchester United’s managerial position we also find Mauricio Pochettino, Carlo Ancelotti and Ryan Giggs.
Manchester United’s next Premier League fixture will be at home to Tottenham Hotspur on August 27th, 10.00 PM. The team currently sits in ninth place, having earned three points in the season so far.