Jose Mourinho’s messy triennial meltdown is well underway, and it looks like the Manchester United squad is preparing for life without their surly boss.
In an explosive press conference over the weekend, the Portuguese manager demanded “respect, respect, respect!” following his team’s 3-0 loss to Tottenham, a result that left Manchester United with only three points from their opening three games.
And he’s seemingly got his wish from Ed Woodward and the Old Trafford board, who have reportedly backed their man to pull United out of the muck – despite his public complaints in pre-season about the club’s lack of spending.
But the club’s players and staff have seen this story play out before, and are apparently less convinced Mourinho will last the distance. According to the Daily Mail, they believe a defeat to Burnley could seal his fate.
Reporter Chris Wheeler says the prospect is being openly discussed on the training ground, and some players have even talked up the idea of Zinedine Zidane taking the top job.
"They are saying Jose will be gone soon," a source is quoted as saying on Tuesday night. "Some think he'll be out if they lose at Burnley. Others can’t see him lasting beyond September.
"We’ve seen this before and it just feels the same. The club will say it's supporting Jose but we all saw what happened with Louis [van Gaal]. The players are already talking about the possibility of Zidane coming in."
Nick Pope is the Site Director of Esquire, overseeing digital strategy for the brand.
