Jose Mourinho looks to be on borrowed time at Manchester United.
The team haven't won in their last four games and haven't recorded a victory at Old Trafford since the opening night of the season, a 2-1 win over Leicester City almost two months ago.
United's football has also been awful to watch and completely incoherent.
There is no discernible pattern of play, no intensity and very little creativity. Mourinho has chopped and changed his line-up for every game and has clashed with several first-team players.
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Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Eric Bailly and Antonio Valencia are among those who are said to have got on the wrong side of the United manager.
It appears Mourinho is experiencing another third-season turmoil that will eventually lead to his dismissal - as what occurred at Real Madrid and Chelsea.
A win against Newcastle United on Saturday may ease the pressure until after the international break. But it seems highly unlikely that he will still be the manager this time next season.
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There have been some interesting reports about the situation at Old Trafford.
James Ducker, writing in
The Telegraph, reports that Mourinho was critical of his players before the goalless draw against Valencia in the Champions League on Tuesday.
According to the
report;
- Mourinho "ranted at his players for 45 minutes in the lead up to the Valencia game."
- He is currently battling to "reclaim his dwindling authority."
- Pogba has been told he can no longer speak to the media following games.
- Antonio Valencia apologised after liking an Instagram post that called for Mourinho's dismissal. He said he didn't read the post before liking it.
In a separate report in
The Independent, Miguel Delaney writes that the club are still reluctant to sack Mourinho.
The report claims that:
- Ed Woodward is unwilling to "push the button" and sack the manager.
- If Mourinho was to be dismissed, it would cost United over £12m (€13.5m) to pay off the rest of his contract.
- Key figures at United aren't convinced that Zinedine Zidane, the favourite to replace Mourinho, is suited to the role, as his success at Real Madrid came under such different circumstances.
- There are also some doubts as to whether Zidane would be interested in the job at Old Trafford.
- Mauricio Pochettino is said to be United's first choice to be the next manager, should they make a change.
- However, there is no chance of taking him from Tottenham mid-way through the season.
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Away from Jose, Paul Ince has taken aim at the under-performing United players.
The former Red Devils midfielder has said that some players at the club now actively want the team to lose.
"What I find disappointing is those players are happy for Mourinho to take the blame," Ince told
Paddy Power.
"They should be admitting the fact that they are responsible for the way they're playing. They're throwing him under the bus, despite putting in poor performances every week. And they're getting away with it.
"Some players want Man United to get beat, just so that there’s pressure on Mourinho to be sacked. The amount of times that you see a new manager go to a club and suddenly, the whole team are up for it. You have to question the attitude of the players."
In a separate report in The Independent, Miguel Delaney writes that the club are still reluctant to sack Mourinho.
The report claims that:
