Has Mourinho got the squad to win the Premier League?
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We look at whether the Red Devils now have the strength needed to win
Jose Mourinho is the master of the second season, having never failed to win the league in his second stint at every club he has managed.
After Saturday’s facile 4-0 thrashing of Swansea, their second win by that score in a row, Man Utd have been backed into 12/5 to win the Premier League outright.
Below, we take a look at whether the Special One has built a team good enough to carry on this form and win the title.
Top class signings
The beginning of the transfer window was a bit of an eyebrow raiser for United fans, as Mourinho brought in Sweden international Victor Lindelof from Benfica for a reported £31m in June.
Red Devils fans then had to remain patient, but it more than have paid off, as United brought in Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton for a reported £75m in July. Club captain Wayne Rooney headed the other way, re-joining his boyhood Merseyside club.
What could turn out to be the key signing for United this summer though, is the capture of Nemanja Matic from Chelsea. The Serbian midfielder played more than 30 times for the Blues in their title winning run last term and the transfer had many scratching their heads at why the London club let him go.
Off to the perfect start
Lukaku hit the ground running for United after making his transfer, bagging four goals in pre-season, and his impressive run continued on Saturday as he netted the second in United’s 4-0 win to leave him top of the goalscorer charts on three.
What’s been most impressive about their start though has been the utter dominance over their opponents, something they seriously struggled with last season. Yes, their wins have been over West Ham and Swansea so far, but it’s difficult to get away from the fact that the Red Devils look like a team on a mission.
Nemanja Matic and Lukaku have been instrumental in the club’s apparent turnaround since last season. The massive Serb is an expert at breaking down opposition attacks and starting counters for his own team, while we all know about the attacking prowess of the Belgian, who is now favourite for the Golden Boot at 11/5.
What’s more, Matic’s ability to anchor the midfield gives team mate Paul Pogba the licence to roam and cause havoc in the opposition defence, something he has done to great affect in the opening two games this season, scoring in each.
Squad ready to compete
Matic may well prove to be the final piece of the puzzle for Mourinho and with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, United have plenty of attacking flair.
It’s not enough for Mourinho’s teams to just to outscore their opponents though and the fact that he has arguably the best goalkeeper in the world in David de Gea between the sticks is a massive plus.
The back four doesn’t look the best on paper, but Jose is getting the best out of them, something a certain Sir Alex Ferguson was renowned for. And with this squad, United now look more than ready to compete for the Premier League title.
Next up for Mourinho’s men is a home game against Leicester and if the Red Devils get the three points, you can rest assured the money will come pouring in for them to win the title, so get yourself over to Coral and get your Premier League bets on before it’s too late!
