Meticulous Jose Mourinho will leave nothing to chance at Manchester United after Chelsea highs and lows

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Simon Johnson24 May 2016

If the Manchester United players found Louis van Gaal too demanding, then things are not about to get any easier for them under Jose Mourinho.

The Dutchman’s departure has brought tales of unrest over his intense training methods, stifling tactics and a habit of criticising individuals in front of the squad.

Anyone feeling a sense of deja vu only has to go back five months, when Mourinho’s second spell at Stamford Bridge ended in similar acrimony.

However, if the Portuguese cannot get Manchester United back to challenging for the League title again, then who can?

Some will suggest he is damaged goods after being responsible for Chelsea’s worst season in the Roman Abramovich era.

While Chelsea’s implosion cannot be ignored, Mourinho’s huge impact in the two campaigns following his return to west London in 2013 should not be underestimated, either.

After all, Mourinho was working under a much stricter budget than he is about to inherit at Old Trafford. Players were sold in order to buy and after coming close to winning the Champions League and Premier League in 2014, Chelsea claimed two trophies, including the title, 12 months later.

Arriving so soon after United’s FA Cup Final triumph is for a reason: he can have the whole summer to plan for next season.

Mourinho’s attention to detail is renowned. He will have been studying United’s strengths and weaknesses from afar for months in readiness to take up his role.

Any United player thinking their place is assured should think again. On his return to Chelsea three years ago, Mourinho told captain John Terry to prove his fitness and worth just like everyone else.

Not only did it inspire Terry’s renaissance, it sent out a message to the rest of the squad.

Nothing will be left to chance in training. More than one day in the build-up to a game could be devoted to working on one facet of play, defending corner kicks, for example, if it is a particular strength of the opposition.

The results which cost Louis Van Gaal his Man United job

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On Chelsea’s first pre-season tour in 2013, Mourinho had the official Premier League match balls flown out to their base in south-east Asia so that the players could get used to it before the campaign got under way.

Any member of United’s staff should be prepared to give a team-talk, too. The team’s masseur, Billy McCulloch, was picked before a win at Manchester City in 2014 because Mourinho knew it would help ease the pressure on the players.

Surprisingly, the 53-year-old can be keen to keep a low profile when the TV cameras are not around.

When Standard Sport met Mourinho for a one-on-one interview in 2014, he would not pose for pictures until the players had gone in for lunch because he didn’t want them to get the wrong impression.

Mourinho is not without his faults. As form dipped, players were rebuked in front of others, so United stars may not notice much of a difference there.

When Chelsea failed to sign a player he wanted, Mourinho struggled to hide his frustration, so executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will be under pressure to deliver.

But Mourinho’s CV shows he has won trophies wherever he has been. United will surely be the next club to benefit.

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