Jose Mourinho's Already Wielding the Axe at Man Utd, But It's Time to Trust a Proven Winner

Mourinho's finally got the chance he's always yearned for at Old Trafford, so it's time to live with it. Disregarding his meltdown at Chelsea last season, this is a man who knows what he's doing, and knows how to get results - no matter how he goes about getting them. He'll stick to some old habits, and winning will be one of them.

Jose Mourinho wasn't ever going to arrive at Old Trafford without ruffling a few feathers.

His official appointment as manager of Manchester United on Friday was as divisive a decision as they come. Mourinho historically boasts an outstanding track record of success, but not every supporter of his new club remains convinced that he was the right man to replace the recently-sacked Louis van Gaal.

We've all had months to brace ourselves. Mourinho is brash. He's controversial. Outspoken. Cunning. Sometimes (and well, a lot of the time while in his last spell at Chelsea) he's been just plain wrong. Supporters have had their reservations over his appointment because of those traits, among others, and with good reason.

Though it's not like United haven't ever had a manager shy of making headlines. Sir Alex Ferguson didn't always come up smelling like roses, y'know.

But Mourinho's finally got the chance he's always yearned for at Old Trafford, so it's time to live with it. Disregarding his meltdown at Chelsea last season, this is a man who knows what he's doing, and knows how to get results - no matter how he goes about getting them. He'll stick to some old habits, and winning will be one of them.

It's naive not to expect that big changes are in the offing, even if they aren't entirely necessary. He has his own ideals. He'll want his own team, not somebody else's. You can hardly blame him for that.

Mourinho's barely gotten started at Carrington, but transfer speculation is already reaching a peak. We've heard much about the reported players he wants to bring to his new club - expect to hear more about John Stones, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the coming months - but the first two players on his reported chopping block have particularly caught the eye.

Sky Sauces, ahem, sorry, *Sources, reported earlier this week that Mourinho is ready and willing to offload two players who were key to Van Gaal's United of last season. Daley Blind and Juan Mata, despite being established fan favourites and regular first team performers, are set to be sold on for a suitable price over the course of Mou's first summer.

We all know transfer stories have to be taken with varying pinches (or handfuls) of salt. But the story could well be an indicator of what's to come. Mourinho is not afraid to rid himself of important players if they don't meet his requirements, as evidenced when then-Chelsea boss Mourinho sold Mata to United in the first place in January 2014.

He made a pretty penny from the sale, and who could forget how Mourinho's Chelsea managed to make £50m out of David Luiz later that year. There's countless other examples, but if the Portuguese sees a player who doesn't fit his profile, it's out the door they go.

The report states that Mata's lack of pace and work rate are particular sticking points. He's tried his heart out for United, chipped in with some important goals and really struck a chord with the supporters. But the 28-year-old is not vital to this team, far from it. He's been no world-beater in United red.

It won't be the nicest pill to swallow if the Spaniard was to walk away, but football's a cut-throat business and it's all part of a bigger picture - one that depicts United back on top of the Premier League and back at the pinnacle of European football.

Blind's case is a little different. He's a couple of years younger, far more adaptable and was one of the club's best performers last season. The Dutchman can play in a variety of positions and is as consistent a player as United have at their disposal.

Though it's important to put that in perspective too; Blind himself isn't and will not be in the world-class category of central defenders. He's simply got deficiencies beyond his control, and it'll mean he's instantly at a physical disadvantage at the highest level. Mourinho has a prototype for his central defenders, and Blind doesn't fit.

The argument does nevertheless stand for keeping Blind at the club. He's definitely a useful squad player to have, and one who can fill in almost across the board. But there's only a select few players in the current squad who Mourinho simply needs to keep hold of. Is Blind expendable? He probably is, you know.

There may be a number of decisions made by Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford that don't sit well with supporters. But when it comes to first team matters and analysing established players who are good enough to succeed at the very top of their profession, Mourinho knows what he's doing.

United might have sold their soul to the devil, but it's time to trust him.

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