Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has criticised manager Jose Mourinho’s tactical approach, and said that he is the wrong man for the club.
The Frenchman, who won four Premier League titles during a glittering spell with the club, was his usual blunt self when asked about Mourinho.
“They will win things, I know they will. But the way they play? Not good,” he told the Mail. “The manager has them playing the wrong way for the fans. No fun, no creativity.
“I like Mourinho. He has a good personality but not for United – they should have [Pep] Guardiola as coach. He should be there but he is doing magic with that other club. The club I cannot name.”
OPINION
Cantona’s opinion is probably shared by a good many United fans. The supporters at Old Trafford were used to swashbuckling football for decades under Sir Alex Ferguson, and now they have the pragmatism of Mourinho. The Portuguese sets his teams up to win games, however they can. It may not always be pretty but it’s effective. The United board knew what they were getting into when they appointed him. They’ve made their bed and now they have to sleep in it. Cantona is right, though, there isn’t much fun around the club these days. Contrast that to life at Manchester City under Guardiola and it’s like night and day. Mourinho doesn’t seem particularly well suited to United and you have to wonder how much longer he’ll stick around at the club. He is a winner, so the decision of whether United prefer trophies and a poor style of football to a nice style and no trophies is one that must be answered soon.