Manchester United played out an uneventful 0-0 draw tonight against West Ham which assured the club of second spot this season. However, despite that result and an FA Cup Final, there is an increasing level of discontent with the style of play currently being utilsed by Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho arrived at Manchester after a controversial return to Chelsea that saw the Portuguese boss win the Premier League only to crash a year later. Prior to that, his record of success stretched across four countries with trophies in Portugal, Italy, England and Spain. According to former Liverpool player and Sky Sports pundit Craig Bellamy, it was his stint in Madrid that resulted in a definite change.
The Mourinho we see now is different to the Mourinho we saw when he first came to the country. When he was 4-3-3, how many teams played that then? He was able to go and buy the best, so he could go buy Drogba, he could go buy pace. They played counter-attack football because they looked after the back four.
Mourinho enjoyed a successful second year in the Spanish capital when he steered Real to a La Liga title, but rumours of internal feuds with players persistently leaked and he left after a disappointing third year.
Okay, he did well in Europe and you always got to give him credit for that. Real Madrid, I think hurt him. That's where he got hurt, that's when he got questioned. Everyone believed he was the one and he was the best manager in the world bar none, no one was even close to him. Then Real Madrid he got questioned and he got questioned by players as well.
WATCH: “The Mourinho we see now is different to the Mourinho who arrived at Chelsea.”
Craig Bellamy says that Mourinho's time at Real Madrid changed him and has resulted in the negative football that Manchester United now play.
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After the game, Mourinho confirmed he would rest players against Watford with a Cup final on the horizon. Success in that game may go some way towards healing the discontent amongst certain members of the Old Trafford faithful.
