Former Premier League star Craig Burley believes that Manchester United’s reported pursuit of Jose Mourinho is a sign of desperation from the club.
Watch more brilliant snippets like this with fanatix’s FREE sports video news app.
Speaking to ESPN FC, Burley insisted that the Red Devils have found themselves in a situation where their list of possible targets is dwindling rapidly and they are contemplating bringing in Mourinho despite the fact that the Portuguese tactician isn’t a great fit for the club.
The former Chelsea star was adamant that the ‘Special One’ would be a risky appointment at Old Trafford, particularly considering the differences in ideologies and philosophies between the two parties in terms of the way of playing and bringing youth players through.
According to the latest speculation, Mourinho hasn’t been offered the United position, as reported by Sky Sports, as Louis van Gaal continues to ignore the rumours and attempts to get the club out of their current slump.
Having been eliminated from the Champions League earlier this month, United have now also slipped out of the top four in the Premier League after back-to-back losses to Bournemouth and Norwich City respectively and are without a win in their last six outings in all competitions.
As a result, the pressure is certainly increasing on Van Gaal to turn things around, and quickly, otherwise United may well be forced into taking a decision on his future before the season ends.
The Dutch tactician is set to speak with the media at his press conference on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Stoke City, and it is highly likely that he will face further difficult questions.
Meanwhile, Mourinho has insisted that he doesn’t intend on taking a break from football and is expected to return to management in the near future, as noted by Sky Sports.