In his second, and what turned out to be final, season in charge of Manchester United, Louis van Gaal won the FA Cup, the club's first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013
Jose Mourinho's tenure at Man United started promisingly enough with Community Shield success this season. Pic/Getty Images
Jose Mourinho's tenure at Man United started promisingly enough with Community Shield success this season. Pic/Getty Images
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In his second, and what turned out to be final, season in charge of Manchester United, Louis van Gaal won the FA Cup, the club's first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. He missed out on a place in the Champions League on goal difference, to bitter rivals Manchester City. Less than a fortnight later, he had fallen through the trap door, with Jose Mourinho moving into the most coveted managerial chair in the land.
As he reflects on two chequered years, Van Gaal may well look back to five disastrous weeks in early winter that sealed his fate. Going into the last week of November. United, with 27 points, were one clear of City and Arsenal, and just one behind surprise leaders Leicester. Four games in the Champions League had fetched seven points, one more than Wolfsburg and PSV Eindhoven. With a home game to come, progression to the last 16 appeared to be a near-formality.
Red Devils explode
Then, the wheels exploded. United drew with PSV at home, and lost to Wolfsburg away to exit the Champions League. It was in the middle of that horror run that Mourinho's second stint at Chelsea came to an abrupt end. Thereafter, every misstep that Van Gaal's team made was accompanied by speculation about when the United board would offer The Special One the job.
Mourinho's tenure started promisingly enough, with Community Shield success and three straight league wins. But a three-game slump since had made many question whether Mourinho really represented an upgrade on Van Gaal. After splurging so much in the off-season, it was only natural that there was intense scrutiny of Mourinho's signings. Paul Pogba, the most expensive player in history, had yet to settle, and his insipid displays had much to do with his manager's confusion over where best to employ him.
It was no coincidence that United's best passages of play have coincided with the direct and pacy threat posed by Marcus Rashford. The emergence of the 18-year-old also increased the questions about Wayne Rooney. Mourinho kept picking him, but with Pep Guardiola's City already five points ahead, the manager's patience ran out before the home game against Leicester. With Claudio Ranieri's side a long way short of the standards set last season, United won the game 4-1.
Anfield awaits Jose
After the international break, there is the daunting prospect of a trip to Anfield, where Jurgen Klopp is threatening to bring back the good times. Mourinho needs more than points too. One of the reasons for the disenchantment with Van Gaal was the sterility of the football United played under him. The Ferguson legacy isn't just about trophies, it's also about winning in style – the United way. The Leicester game was a significant step in that direction.
Dileep Premachandran is Wisden India's editor-in-chief
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