Mourinho’s biggest game

Jose Mourinho faces the biggest game of his managerial career on Monday. Forget the Champions League finals and title deciders — when Manchester United take on Tottenham at Old Trafford, the end result will be crucial for the one-time “special one.”

Anything but a victory for the home team, and the doubts over Mourinho’s ability to recreate his and United’s glory days will only grow. He is approaching a crossroads, not only in his journey at Man United but also in the context of his overall record as a manager.

Mourinho has forged a blue-chip reputation as one of the leading coaches in world football. When he took charge of United in the summer of 2016, at the same time as Pep Guardiola’s arrival across town at Manchester City, the former Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid manager was regarded as the only man who could compete with the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach.

They were two men who shared the summit of the game, but just over two years on, Mourinho is beginning to look like yesterday’s man in comparison to Guardiola.

At City, Guardiola has built one of the most exciting teams ever seen in English football — a team that broke countless records on the way to winning the Premier League last season, including becoming the first to smash the 100-point barrier.

They have started in similar fashion this season, but United, who finished second last term and won no trophies, have already stumbled and fallen after just two games of this new campaign.

Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at Brighton following a shambolic performance at the Amex Stadium capped a turbulent month for United and Mourinho that has seen the manager and club in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

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There has been negativity and public displays of unhappiness from Mourinho, both during the preseason tour and then back in Manchester, a series of thinly-veiled criticisms of his Old Trafford bosses and high-profile players, including Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, and, to cap it all off, two unconvincing displays at the start of the Premier League season.

The Brighton defeat was preceded by a 2-1 win at home to Leicester, but while City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea have all raced out of the traps in emphatic style, United’s form has matched Mourinho’s mood: grey and miserable.

All of the above has led to an air of discontent at Old Trafford, which is why the Tottenham game has become so big for Mourinho.

Questions are now being asked about his future at United. Some fans want him to go, others are turning their frustration toward the owners and Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman.

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