JOSE MOURINHO HAS held talks with Manchester United about becoming the club’s next manager, according to reports from the BBC and others.
The 53-year-old has been heavily linked with the United job ever since his sacking as Chelsea coach in December.
Mourinho’s sudden availability has coincided with a difficult spell for his former mentor Louis van Gaal with United suffering through a miserable December.
The Dutchman responded angrily to claims he tendered his resignation to the club’s CEO Ed Woodward following a loss to Stoke City on 26th December and again after a 1-0 defeat to Southampton earlier this month.
In recent weeks, things have improved with successive wins over Derby and Stoke though reports suggest he will leave United twelve months ahead of schedule, paving the way for Mourinho to become the club’s third manager in three years.
With crosstown rivals Manchester City announcing that Pep Guardiola would be installed as their new manager this summer, it would appear that United’s hand has been forced into pondering a move for the volatile, controversial but immensely successful Portuguese.
However, Mourinho was overlooked as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor in 2013 and it remains the case that some of United’s top brass still have reservations about the self-christened Special One’s approach to management, particularly his relentless run-ins and his lack of interest in promoting young players.
But, United seem to have little wiggle room. With City having pieced together a long-term strategy for securing Guardiola, the red side of Manchester are preparing for yet another transition and by default rather than design.
2pm KO on a Monday. Do the FAI want to make it possible for people to attend.
For God’s sake 2 o’clock on a working day. Give them a chance. Well done on the result.
With all the publicity last week, that attendance figure is v underwhelming. Terrible shame the match was played in the afternoon and not in the evening. Massive opportunity wasted.
Still, fair play on the result, ladies!
FAI dropping the ball again. Big surprise.
@Daniel Brogan: Their last 2 competitive home games against Portugal and Montenegro were at 6pm and 7pm. These drew attendances of 1500 and 946. Compared to these games todays attendance looks excellent. The team just don’t have a following and an evening kickoff could result in a worse attendance
1000 people at the highest profile women’s game in years, proves how fake people are. It’s all very well posting ‘support’ on social media, but unless you are willing to go to their games, to buy tickets’ your moral support is meaningless.
The reality is nobody gives a shyt about women’s sport in this country, particularly other women. How can you talk about equality. When the men can pack out 55,000- 80,000 seat stadium on a regular basis and the women struggle to get 1000 to 1500 on their best day?
@SuzukaYuiMoa: Being fair, I have been a Connacht fan for most my life.
No way I would ever take a day off work for friendly.
Newcastle Jets u15 boys team beat the Australian senior women’s team 7-0 in a friendly a few years back ,just goes to show to standard of women’s soccer really .
@chris irwin: dead right , I watched a lot of the last women’s world cup… standard was embarrassing
Up the Banner
Great result, was this game just a friendly?
@Killian Mchale: Yep.