da realsbet： Jose Mourinho has some big shoes to fill, but he has, arguably, the best job in the world.
da pixbet： By that I don’t mean that he has the Manchester United job, but that he has it at this very specific time. Because ask David Moyes or Louis van Gaal if the United job was the best in the world. They’d probably say no, because the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson loomed too large.
Following perhaps greatest manager in the history of the game is not a job anyone wants. But the greatests performers always have their warm-up acts, and that’s the luxury that Jose Mourinho has been afforded. Following Moyes and Van Gaal is infinitely easier!
And although Mourinho has been afforded the vast sums of cash he needs to make his squad compete for the title, and although he has already identified transfer targets and added depth to the squad, there are still some areas where United could be stronger, particularly in terms of squad depth and options that can be used in different games.
With that in mind – here are three players who United could cherry pick from rivals Liverpool who would make that squad better…
Roberto Firmino
Firmino is a player after Mourinho’s heart. He’s by no means a nasty player, but he is a whole-hearted one. He’ll work hard, track back and put in the proverbial shift – something that Mourinho loves in an attacking midfielder.
Firmino is quite clearly more than just a work horse, but that work rate could be enough to justify a place in a Mourinho side, especially in the big games.
If Mourinho is looking for someone with undoubted quality on the ball to also run around and make himself useful on the pitch then Firmino would certainly strengthen United.
James Milner
Every team needs their Park Ji-Sung! Though perhaps not a Park Ji-Sung that has played for two of their biggest rivals!
You may laugh, United fans, but having James Milner in the squad would give United the kind of club that Sir Alex Ferguson always kept in his bag. Milner is a big game weapon, someone who will make sure that the dirty work is done, giving the players with more quality in possession more time and freedom to go about their business.
Crucially, in a Mourinho team, that also means that he can make up for the defensive deficiencies of some of the players – Mourinho loves his forwards to press and to help defend, but if someone doesn’t do their job properly, you know Milner will. And in his first season, he needs the kind of player he can trust.
A Milner like player would fit the bill perfectly.
Adam Lallana
Another less-heralded player, certainly, but another player who would fit into the squad if not the starting XI.
Sometimes in football – especially when you’re a big club – you have to have the sorts of players in the side who are not always big names, nor are they explosive players.
United, with the likes of Martial, Rashford and Mkhitaryan, have all the explosivity they need, but what they lack is a player who will slow the game down when that explosivity isn’t working.
A player like Lallana would add that to the squad, though his impact would almost certainly come from the bench – but this Premier League has so much more quality than ever before, and that means every squad member will play a role. So you need to have as many different options as possible!