The Summer Transfer Window has officially closed – for the English Clubs at least, and Manchester United have disappointed fans worldwide with their lack of activity, especially by failing to reinforce in weaker areas of their squad. United completed their three signings early on, first adding Right Back Diogo Dalot from Porto from £19m, then adding Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk for £47m and finally adding Lee Grant from Stoke for £1.5m. The signs were good and it seemed that Manchester United were a club with a plan. Fans could not wait for the iconic signing which surely had to come soon.
A right winger and a defender seemed to be on the cards, with a galaxy of stars linked to Old Trafford for those two positions for quite a long time in the transfer window. Unfortunately, none of those moves materialized as the Transfer Window closed unceremoniously for United. Mourinho looked especially frustrated and now everything seems to point to his “Third Season Syndrome”.
All the rival clubs have made smart buys, investing well and spending without worry and this has made United look even worse than they actually are. Yes, the signings that would have made United better have not arrived, but it is in the DNA of this club to prepare players, to build, to shape youngsters into legends of football. The slight hiccup, though, might be Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho is a winner, he doesn’t like to think too far into the future, because he might not be around to enjoy the fruits of the saplings he is planting.
This attitude of the Portuguese has hurt him all through his career and it is time he does something about it. Manchester United have gained fame by nurturing budding talent and turning them into shining stars. Yes, the big name signings have been there, but the club has always mixed the stars with the youth and prepared a perfect recipe for winning and going forward the United Way.
Mourinho has the ingredients, as we shall discuss in this article ahead, all he needs is a little patience, a little desire to shape people in his ideology. He needs to inspire, he needs to build and he needs to treat this as a new challenge. No signing? Fret not, Tahith Chong has the potential to be the backbone of the United team for years.
Tahith Chong has United fans who followed him last season, gushing about his abilities. The boy is only 18 years old and he is extremely skillful and fast.
His pace, trickery and ability to spot a pass make him an absolute asset to his team and in case you didn’t know, he is the reigning Jimmy Murphy Youth Team Player of the Year.
The cherry on the cake is the fact that Chong can play on the right wing, or on the right side of the front three. But he is versatile and as a left-footer can play practically anywhere across the front three. Chong did play a few games in the preseason, yet after an intriguing run as a sub in the game against Club America, could not replicate his performance in the other games.
Inconsistency at such age is very common and this is where Mourinho and maybe Carrick would come handy. Maybe a little guidance can turn the young boy into a top player on the right side in the near future.
The least Mourinho can do is give him game time. He can start or at least come on from the bench against lesser oppositions and who knows, he could actually find his footing in the Premier League, especially in the right side that is crying for him.