Manchester United: Ferguson discusses Mourinho’s start; Old Trafford redevelopment plans; Martial must listen to Mourinho

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Manchester United are making progress under Jose Mourinho, according to their former manager Sir Alex Ferguson who has spoken to the BBC. The Scotsman believes that the side are slowly getting used to Mourinho’s style of play and that they have been unlucky in several matches this season, something that the Manchester United manager has spoken about himself at times. No manager has achieved success since Ferguson, but the man himself clearly thinks that it will be third time lucky for the club.

“You can see he has got to grips with the club. The team is playing really well and he has been very unlucky. He has had six 1-1 draws and in every game he has battered the opposition.

“If they hadn’t had all these draws, they would be there challenging Chelsea. That is the unfortunate part but he is going to have to live with that.”

These are interesting comments from Ferguson and they ring true to an extent. Manchester United have been unlucky this season and would be higher in the table if they were more clinical. However, it can also be argued that having so many draws does suggest that there is a problem causing it. Mourinho needs to address why it is that his side can’t kill matches off. Once he finds the solution, his side should climb the table. A Champions League return is well within their grasp.

There are plenty of stories doing the rounds about the redevelopment of Old Trafford. The Guardian report that the club are set to reduce the capacity to 73,300, in order to create 300 places for disabled supporters. Meanwhile, the Mail report that the club is also looking to make Old Trafford the second largest club stadium in Europe, with plans to increase the capacity to 88,000 over the coming years.

The decision to create more space for disabled supporters comes after a discussion with the Equality and Human Rights Commission as they move in like with the Accessible Stadia guide. However, the club will see this as part of the long-term redevelopment of Old Trafford, therefore supporters shouldn’t be concerned about a temporary decrease in capacity. Manchester United are one of the largest clubs in the world and they will want a stadium that matches those of Barcelona and Real Madrid. These are exciting plans and it will be interesting to see how they progress over the coming months.

Finally, Jose Mourinho has been discussing Anthony Martial and stated that the French international needs to listen if he is to fulfill his undoubted potential. The Manchester Evening News draw a comparison with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who reacted in the right way after being left out of the team and Martial could do worse than follow that example. The Frenchman wasn’t in the squad that travelled to Stoke City at the weekend and there have been reports suggesting that he is unhappy at the treatment.

“With Martial, every day I read the newspaper – Martial goes to Sevilla, Martial goes on loan, he’s not happy,”

“Martial needs to listen to me. He’s a player with amazing conditions to be a top player.”

It does seem an odd one with Martial, as he has been given opportunities this season and considering the strength in depth at the club, he needs to perform to retain his place in the team. He could be perfect for the left wing spot as no player has made that position their own this season, but he needs to work harder and show more consistency. The Frenchman is a huge talent, but he now needs to show the personality to match.

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