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Man Utd news: Jose Mourinho is turning into Arsene Wenger - Ian Wright
JOSE MOURINHO is in serious danger of tarnishing his reputation at Manchester United, according to former Arsenal striker Ian Wright.
Mourinho began his reign at Old Trafford by winning the Europa League, a feat which saw the club return to the Champions League.
United ended the 2017/18 season trophy-less and finished a staggering 19 points behind champions Manchester City.
Mourinho only made three new additions to his squad this summer and missed out on several of his top targets, most notably Leicester’s Harry Maguire.
The Portuguese has openly expressed his frustration at the United board’s failure to adequately reinforce the squad, leading many to question his future at the club.
Wright is amongst those who believe Mourinho is resigned to leaving ’The Theatre of Dreams’ and reckons the former Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss is slowly but surely ruining his legacy, much like Arsene Wenger did before walking away from Arsenal.
"The saddest thing of all when I look at United under Jose Mourinho? As much as I respect him as a manager, I can’t see any way it is going to turn around,” Wright wrote in his column for The Sun.
“We all know about Jose and his third-year syndrome. But, listening to him talk, it’s as though even he has accepted it himself.
“It has me screaming: ‘Come on, man. You’ll go down as one of the greats, but the way you’re acting will tarnish everything you’ve done’.
I can’t see any way it is going to turn around
“In many ways, it’s like the last days of Arsene Wenger.
“People were watching Arsenal because it was car-crash football. United are fast turning into the same.”
Although United have won a trophy and finished second during Mourinho’s tenure, Wright believes the club has somewhat regressed.
“You can’t say there has been no progress under Jose, because there has,” he continued. "They’ve won a Europa League and League Cup, and last term finished second in the table.
“But that’s been to the detriment of the sort of football which has long been their mantra.
“The people upstairs can’t be happy, the fans certainly aren’t and Jose’s definitely not.
“And as for the players? It’s clearly not a good situation. Something really isn’t right.
“Mourinho has had a pop at players time and again, he had another go in pre-season and now finds himself having to call on some of them.
“I’m not for one second suggesting in any way they’re throwing games.
“But equally, you cannot tell me some aren’t thinking, ‘This serves you right’.”