Jose Mourinho would love the opportunity to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United | OneFootball

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly told those close to him that he would love to manage his former side for a second time.

It feels very much that the end is nigh for Erik ten Hag after another horrendous, embarrassing defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace yesterday.

Even though INEOS are unlikely to sack the manager until after the FA Cup final in three and half weeks’ time, it really does feel that last night could and should have been the breaking point.

In a season full of depressing lows, the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Crystal Palace will take some beating. Porous in defence, vacant in midfield and as dangerous as bubble wrap in the final third, nothing went right for Ten Hag’s men.

The Dutchman has cut an incredibly frustrated figure as of late and he has been visually irked during interviews and press conferences.

A plethora of names have been linked to replace the Dutch coach at the end of the season such as Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

However, the Manchester Evening News have suggested that former coach, Jose Mourinho, would be delighted to take a second bite at the cherry.

The paper reports “Jose Mourinho would love to manage Manchester United again” and “he has told confidants he would ‘walk’ to Manchester to manage United for a second time, having been sacked by the club in December 2018.”

The two-time Champions League winner is a friend of United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe but sadly for ‘the special one’, “the club does not want to reappoint the Portuguese.”

Therefore, “Mourinho is not expecting an approach from his former club.”

The return of the ultra-famous coach would be blockbuster but it shouldn’t be what INEOS have in mind.

He has already experienced a return to Chelsea and despite winning the league, it turned very sour towards the end of his time at the club.

In addition, despite winning the Conference League with Roma in 2022, he is hardly at the peak of his powers and if anything, his stock in the game has decreased substantially since he was fired from the Old Trafford job.

INEOS have a chance to separate themselves from the failings of the last decade and that must start with appointing a manager who not only fully understands the rigours of managing an elite club but who is in possession of a style of play that can compete at the highest level of modern football.

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