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According to Miguel Delaney of The Independent, Jose Mourinho has supposedly crafted a six-page letter to the Manchester United hierarchy expressing a desire to manage the struggling outfit. Mourinho's agent, Jorge Mendes, has since come out and disputed these claims, calling them "ridiculous and absurd."
If true, the timing of Mourinho's ploy is no coincidence. Confidence in Louis Van Gaal is at an all time low amongst the United fanbase, although Van Gaal has maintained that he has the support of the board and the players.
United's woeful performance against Southampton on Saturday, in which the most entertainment for United fans came from a rodent pitch invader, has not helped Van Gaal's case. United now finds itself five points adrift of fourth-place Tottenham, and only one point ahead of West Ham.
Mourinho, who is a perennial winner and a free agent after being released from Chelsea, has supposedly laid out a detailed plan as to how to fix the team, and has also moved to quell the fears of those who feel he doesn't fit the team's image.
Van Gaal's slow, possession-oriented style of play has long irked fans, but many were willing to put that aside because United were winning. But United has only won twice in its last 10 games in the Premier League, and has been knocked out of the Champion's League and the Capital One Cup. United has also finished the first half at 0-0 for 11 straight games. For many, the Dutchman's time is up.
Mourinho's personality and penchant for scandal has divided some United fans, but his reputation as a winner at every club he has managed has trumped those flaws for most. For others, there is a fear that he would abandon the values of the club, such as faith in youth players and expansive attacking football.
His short tenures at his other clubs also leads most to believe that he would not truly live and breathe the club, but rather seek glory for himself.
At the end of the day though, United fans want to win, and there are few managers in the modern game that can boast the awards that Mourinho has won. He's won the league in Spain, England, Portugal and Italy, and has also snagged two Champion's League titles along the way.
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If Mourinho did indeed craft this letter, then it must come as a shock for Van Gaal. The two have been friends since their time together at Barcelona, and have offered each other glowing praise in the past.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho is attempting to usurp Van Gaal, or whether he intends to take over in the summer, when Van Gaal is rumored to step down a year earlier than intended. Either way, keep your eyes peeled. "The Special One" may be heading back sooner than you think.
