Jose Mourinho signs on as Manchester United manager

The worst-kept secret in football is finally confirmed – Jose Mourinho has signed a three-year contract with Manchester United.

Mourinho was all but a lock as the Red Devils’ new boss on Monday, when the super club sacked Louis van Gaal the day after winning the FA Cup – the club’s first piece of meaningful silverware since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge.

Fergie’s spectre has loomed large over both men to have stood in the dug-out since the Scot retired. His immediate successor, compatriot David Moyes, failed to last a single season in charge at Old Trafford, while Van Gaal’s stint was cut short with a year to run on his contract.

Simply put, this is a club that expects – nay, demands – success. And success at the highest level. An FA Cup might placate the faithful at Arsenal, but in Manchester it’s Premier League or Champions League glory, or the door.

Which may explain why they’ve appointed ‘The Special One’, who’s won 22 trophies since 2003, including two Champions League trophies and three Premier League campaigns – most recently just over a year ago, during his second stint at Chelsea.

And while plenty of praise flows when announcing a new signing, United’s Ed Woodward was mostly talking straight when he announced the signing, saying, “José is quite simply the best manager in the game today. He has won trophies and inspired players in countries across Europe and, of course, he knows the Premier League very well, having won three titles here.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome him to Manchester United. His track record of success is ideal to take the club forward.”

The Portuguese has long coveted this role, and many thought it was a mistake not to chase him hard as Ferguson’s immediate successor. But the prevailing logic was that Mourinho wasn’t a long-term manager – merely someone who would come in, win a trophy or two, then move on.

And fair enough, it’s what he’s done for much of his career, which is not the way things are done at United.

At least, that’s not the way things used to be done at United.

But three managers and one trophy later, they’re prepared to take a punt on the man Chelsea sacked last Christmas, after he appeared to have lost the dressing room only months after winning the league in a canter.

Come in, win a few trophies, then bugger off? Having finished fifth in the Premier League this season, that’s suddenly sounding pretty sweet to Mancunian ears.

On his appointment, Mourinho said: “To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game. It is a club known and admired throughout the world. There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match.

“I have always felt an affinity with Old Trafford; it has hosted some important memories for me in my career and I have always enjoyed a rapport with the United fans. I’m looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years.”

Coming years, Jose? Unless we see Manchester’s shade of red ribbons on the Prem trophy pretty soon, that pluralisation might be a bit optimistic.

Good luck though mate.

theroar