Does Mourinho get it?

​No maybe the immediate and obvious answer. The general consensus is that Mourinho is too cautious, his tactics negative and dull, based on sitting back conceding possession but not conceding goals.

He plays hoof ball and restrains his players, the fans do not like it and won’t tolerate it for long. He does not play the “united way”, where is the cavalier football so proudly displayed on the field under the watch of sir Alex Ferguson? The flying wingers? The fast paced counter attacking football? Surely Mourinho does not get it, more importantly does he even care?​

So, what is there to get?

​“We’ll Never Die,

We’ll Never Die,

We’ll Keep the Red Flag Flying High

Cos’ Man United Will Never Die…”

​They are the words you can hear hear bellowing out from the Stretford end on match days, born out of the tragedy in Munich, a defiant message from the club and its fans.

​As the faithful were pouring out of Old Trafford last Tuesday night and the fans around the world picked up their phones and switched on their computers they were all asking the same question, does Mourinho get it?​

The abject performance they had just witnessed from their team would have even the most placid football fans blood boiling, lacking in creativity or any real quality outdone by a tidy but quite frankly average Seville team.

​The criticism of Jose Mourinho is now coming from all angles, rivals and enemies licking their lips and gearing up for revenge at the sharp tongued Portuguese. Again the same old criticisms thrown around with a cliche filled abandon, he is not a united manager, he does not play the “united way”, he is too cautious, all true but equally irrelevant. Sir Alex played the “united way” when it suited other times he played to win at all cost, anyway, anyhow. Abandoning the “united way” at the drop of a hat if it meant success was on it's way. Mourinho has the same mentality, he may go about differently at times but this not what concerns the club's supporters.

​Like any fans they want to see exciting attacking football and goals and they have seen enough this season to keep them satisfied for now, but they also accept there are other ways to play, other ways to win. They have beaten their arch rivals Liverpool this season as well as beating Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal and still have the derby to come which has added significance this season as it could be the day their city rivals lift the title, they are still in with a chance of FA cup glory, though this would not represent an excellent season certainly a tolerable one for the club.

​The disappointment felt last Tuesday evening and the jeering and whistling that followed was not down to a lack of quality on the field or even the style of play, football fans though emotional creatures can accept an off night from the players, and opposition team bettering them or just that they were not quite good enough but that was not the case this time.​

They watched their team start off slow and lifeless, little energy and even less urgency and it did not improve from there. Sideways pass after sideways pass, long ball after long ball, they stuck with their team cheering and urging them forward. All they got in return was a performance devoid of ideas and even more sideways passing. It took until the 70th minute with the team still not looking like the were concerned with what was taking place for the cheers turned to jeers but not because they saw their team struggling but because they saw their side not trying to score, content with the nil nil scoreline with 20 minutes remaining. 

​The fans at Old Trafford do not not demand a certain style of football, the club is not defined by 4-4-2 and playing the so called “united way” the club was defined by the Busby Babes and the tragedy that befell them in Munich and in the aftermath of those tragic events. The never say die spirit, the fearlessness of youth and triumphing over adversity is what the united fans demand and unfortunately everything that was lacking in their performance on Tuesday night.​

The fans can deal with disappointment, as Mourinho not so subtly pointed out in his post match press conference they have had many times before even at this stage of the competition. They can cope with an off night and even the manager getting his tactics wrong. What the fans can’t accept is a performance lacking in all the qualities they hold so dear, the qualities their great club is defined by, the real Manchester United way.

​Does Mourinho get it?

​Well we’re about to find out because he needs to show all those defining qualities now if he is to make the fans believe he can be a Manchester United manager.