Jose Mourinho's nerves in stoppage time at Old Trafford last night were revealing. Mourinho of all people should know what the 'Sliding Doors' of life are like to reference the film of the same name; in 2004 his Porto team were on the way out of the Champions League before Francisco Costinha scored an injury time equaliser at Old Trafford to eliminate Manchester United. Cue a Mourinho sprint down the touchline in rapture.
What would have become of Mourinho if that goal didn't go in? Would he have gone to Chelsea and with a war chest, instantly guided the Pensioners to successive Premier League titles, his charisma dripping through the game? Who knows. What we do know is that in elite level sport, the margins between success and failure are as thin as an After Eight.
Love him or loath him, Mourinho wins trophies wherever he goes. Such as Champions League crowns with Porto and Inter Milan, neither club expected to reach such heights in the modern era. Such as three Premier League titles with Chelsea. A disappointing spell at Real Madrid still yielded a La Liga. United fans may rightly bemoan the fact that their football this season has been turgid and dull, especially at home. On the other side of the ledger is the reality that if they beat Ajax and win the Europa League in Stockholm on May 24th, they are in next season's Champions League, following failures by David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal to reach the top table. It will be a second trophy in the cabinet in Mourinho's first season. The ingredients may not look pleasant, but it's an edible meal.
United fans have been reared on greatness, the 'attack' 'attack' 'attack' brilliance of Alex Ferguson's teams, the ingenuity of the Scot to regenerate and win trophies with different teams. If Fergie was starting out now, it may not be as easy to achieve in a climate of owners with their finger perpetually on the trigger. He may not have got the time he was given in the late 1980s. So Mourinho knows this is 'Russian Roulette'. He knows it's Champions League football or bust based on the game against Ajax, as the possibility of achieving it through the Premier League fades. United fans can justifiably throw the book at him if his team is producing this football in a year's time, and if the summer signings are not game changers. Right now though, it's all about winning. Nothing else. Mourinho doesn't want to return to the Europa League quagmire next season. Can you imagine the press conferences and spats? He knows it. Ugly will do.
