Manchester United: Success, failure and Mourinho’s three-season syndrome

Mourinho’s third season at Manchester United is underway. In the past, he has endured tumultuous times during his third year, often leading to his exit. History may repeat itself at the Theatre of Dreams.

Jose Mourinho has always been a divisive figure.  He came to the fore of European football as the young, exciting manager of Porto. In 2004, he won his first Champions League title, knocking out Manchester United in the process.

His flamboyant celebration of Costinha’s last-minute winner irked Sir Alex Ferguson and was an indicator of things to come. His success with Porto precipitated his move to Chelsea, as Roman Abramovich sought one of Europe’s brightest managerial talents to break the duopoly of United and Arsenal.

Upon arriving in England, Mourinho was a breath of fresh air. He dubbed himself “The Special One”, and built an all-conquering side that stormed to consecutive league titles. But things turned sour after that, setting in motion Mourinho’s departure.

His subsequent jobs tended to follow the same pattern of short-term success, followed by things blowing up in Mourinho’s face. There was a sense of history repeating itself, and the risk for United right now is that they may become a victim of Mourinho’s third-season slump, without the preceding success.

The question becomes: what patterns can be seen throughout Mourinho’s career, starting with his first stint at Chelsea, and what conclusions can we draw for United’s season.