Why Jose Mourinho deserves new Manchester United contract despite Premier League title slipping away

Jose Mourinho is yet to sign a new contract at Manchester United and Old Trafford chiefs should not hesitate in handing him the paperwork despite the Premier League appearing beyond reach this season.

The Special One, whose current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2019, has never failed to win a domestic title in his second year in charge of a club.

Even the most optimistic Red Devils supporter would admit that Sunday’s crushing derby defeat to Pep Guardiola’s City looks to have effectively ended the race for the crown.

Make no mistake, United were not good enough to beat City and deservedly find themselves in second position in the standings as we approach the Christmas period.

But don’t let that distract you from the progress Mourinho’s team have made this term.

This is the same team that laboured to sixth in 2016-17, finishing seven points off Liverpool in fourth and a massive 24 behind champions Chelsea, becoming bore draw specialists.

The Portuguese tactician knew the game was up and United were nowhere near strong enough to compete, so he put all of his eggs in the Europa League basket, getting the ultimate payout.

He has restored Manchester United to the Champions League, qualifying for the knockout stages with ease, and put the club back among the European elite.

They made a blistering start to the new campaign and produced the kind of free-scoring football that hasn’t been seen at the Theatre of Dreams since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The goals have dried up. Romelu Lukaku needs a rest and Mourinho’s management of the £75million striker must be questioned after labelling him untouchable in a red shirt.

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His performance against City, in the biggest game of the season, was nothing short of dreadful and his mistakes handed the visitors both of their goals in a 2-1 victory.

But form is only temporary and the Belgian will point to the 18 times he has hit the back of the net in the early stages of what will surely be a long career at the club.

You also need to put things into perspective. Mourinho is pitting this United side against a Manchester City team who are sweeping aside all before them and remain unbeaten.

They are solid at the back, dominant in midfield and lethal in attack.

Lukaku’s display in the Manchester derby has been described as the worst of his United career so far.

Guardiola’s side may not be able to match Arsenal’s Invincibles and avoid any blots on their copybook, yet they remain an incredible side and a level up from their near neighbours.

Mourinho has spent a lot of money, there is no escaping that fact, however he is still cleaning up the mess left from the two failed regimes that preceded his tenure.

United’s flaws are not a mystery to anyone, Mourinho included, and his request to the board for further investment this winter is a clear indication of his disenchantment with his resources.

Ashley Young has done an admirable job of filling in at left-back, much like Antonio Valencia at right-back, but both are naturally wingers.

Eric Bailly has the required quality of a top centre-back, however Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have fallen way short of the levels they were expected to reach.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was one of Mourinho’s big signings in his first season but appears to be on his way out of Manchester after being frozen out of the squad.

Recouping some of the cash from the purchase of Mkhitaryan while bringing in either Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil on a free transfer from Arsenal would go a long way to righting that wrong.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a revelation last season but is still working his way back to fitness and needs to shake off his ring rust to provide more competition for Lukaku, who will find his shooting boots again eventually, up top.

Mourinho’s remarkable second-season record will end next May but it would appear that automatic qualification to Europe’s premier club competition and finishing behind a rampant City would represent good progress.

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Two more transfer windows between now and the start of 2018-19 will give the Special One the opportunity to put the final touches to the squad.

His third season, the last of his current contract, will leave him with no hiding place. If he gets in the players he wants he will be in a position to mount a realistic challenge and will fully deserve a new contract for restoring order after the chaos that followed Ferguson’s exit.