The key questions Mourinho must answer for Man United to make the FA Cup final
It is little secret that Jose Mourinho is a manager who prides himself on silverware over style and the fact that Manchester United must win Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur to keep alive their final hope of winning a trophy this season makes it their biggest game of the season so far.
Even as a spluttering United toiled through last season, Mourinho oversaw triumphs in both the EFL Cup and the Europa League – he tried convincing the world that the Community Shield makes it three, but it really doesn’t.
Winning trophies is all Mourinho cares about and it’s what his reputation is built on.
Not least because of the off-field baggage and on-field tedium Mourinho has brought to Old Trafford in his secon season, he needs a pot to hold up as proof that his methods – often criticised for being outdated, dour and against the club’s traditions – do actually work.
Spurs could also do with a trophy to tangibly mark their undoubted progress under Mauricio Pochettino but have lost their last seven FA Cup semi-finals – a record streak.
Given that the match will be the sides’ first meeting since United were roundly beaten 2-0 at Wembley in late January, Mourinho has no shortage of questions to answer in order to avoid a repeat on Saturday.
Football FanCast have taken a closer look at some of the most pressing…
Which of United’s stars does he drop?
United’s 1-0 home defeat to West Brom on Sunday stunted all of the momentum they had built up the week before with the stunning comeback victory at the Etihad.
Mourinho was so angry at the result that it made him – despite having a game against Bournemouth in between – decide there and then to drop some of the players who featured against the Baggies for the game at Wembley.
Due to the references to transfer fee and salary, it was assumed that struggling star turns Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez were at severe risk, but Mourinho must find the best way to balance his team.
The Chilean has an incredible Wembley record – with seven goals and an assist from just six games at the National Stadium – so Mourinho may be tempted to keep faith with his big-money, big-game star.
Play Pogba in a two-man midfield?
Prior to the January meeting between Saturday’s opponents, Mourinho had tried fielding Pogba in a midfield two on numerous occasions but it had seldom been a success against elite opponents.
In that 2-0 reverse, Mourinho eschewed the ‘park the bus’ tactics he usually employs on trips to top-six rivals, playing Pogba alongside Nemanja Matic in an open 4-2-3-1 formation.
Within a minute, United were 1-0 down and it was two before the half-hour mark. The visitors couldn’t get to grips with a rampant Spurs side and Pogba was seen having a heated exchange with Mourinho on the touchline, before being substituted on 63 minutes.
That debacle spawned the rumours that manager and player do not see eye to eye which are still raging now. United tend to play a 4-3-3 system now but Pogba’s defensive discipline against the best sides is still a major question mark.
Is Son Spurs’ biggest threat?
Ordinarily, Mourinho would be most concerned about the threat of Harry Kane when he examines how to shut down this Spurs side.
Although Kane has netted (he swears on his daughter’s life) twice in three games since his return from injury, he has not looked fully fit and sharp, forcing Pochettino to move him into the number 10 position for the second half against Brighton on Tuesday and field Son Heung-min as the main striker.
Kane’s return has actually unsettled a Tottenham attack that was looking pacy and fluid in his absence and it might just be that the pace of the South Korean proves to be the biggest danger to Mourinho’s aspirations of returning to Wembley on 19 May.
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