LONDON: If you’re looking for an argument as to why Jose Mourinho is the wrong man for Manchester United you don’t have to look far. Too defensive, too abrasive, doesn’t use academy graduates, can’t defeat strong Premier League opponents, surpassed by the “modern generation” of managers, doesn’t teach his teams how to attack.
If you prefer to compare where Manchester United are as a football team to where they were before Mourinho’s arrival you may come to a different conclusion. In the three years of turbulence and unprecedented spending that followed Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, United won just one major trophy, stumbling to Premier League finishes of seventh, fourth and fifth.
Yes, the combination of new executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the managerial input of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal resulted in hundreds of millions being “invested” in transfer fees and salaries. Yet the net effect was to leave United with a squad palpably weaker than Ferguson’s final title-winning group despite a £51.7 million ($69.9 million) hike in annual salary spend.
“It’s difficult to change the dynamic,” said Mourinho ahead of his first Old Trafford campaign. “It would be easier to have 22 new players and start from zero. For two years they had principles and I have to change them. There are things in their brain that are automatic and that is difficult to change.”
In a September interview with this journalist, Mourinho expanded on the difficulties.
“There was an evolution in the other clubs; there was no evolution at all in this club,” he said. “In all the areas that make a team successful I think we stopped in time. When I say ‘the club’, I say the football team and what surrounds the football team was in trouble, big trouble.”
If Mourinho does not yet have the team exactly where he wants it to be — he planned the squad’s rebuild as a three-year project — it is no longer in big trouble.
In the mere 16 months since Mourinho’s first competitive match United have trebled their post-Ferguson major trophy count, taking a League Cup and the club’s first Europa League. They are back in the Champions League and all but through to the knock-out rounds. Their League Cup defense has reached the quarter-final stage.
Statistically, United have the best defense in the Premier League, have scored more goals (35 in 15 fixtures) than everyone but leaders Manchester City, and are on course for a final points return of 89. To place that in historical context, in just two of the past 11 seasons have the champions finished with 90 points or more. (Mourinho delivered the League record haul of 95 points in his first year at Chelsea.)
That this level of progression is presented by many as sub-standard is down to one principal factor — the record-breaking achievements of Pep Guardiola’s City. United’s rivals stand astride the Premier League on a record-equalling run of 13 wins.
They remain unbeaten in all competitions, have a perfect 15 points from their five Champions League group games, and are being seriously talked of as potential quadruple winners. Even as potential “New Invincibles,” capable of surpassing Arsenal’s undefeated 2003-04 English title campaign — only with more wins, points and goals.
Guardiola’s team is producing beautiful, possession and attack-focused football that has already delivered 61 goals from 22 competitive matches. Only Wolverhampton have managed to shut City’s multi-faceted attack out. His carousel passers travel to Old Trafford on Sunday as clear favorites for a victory that would fatten their title race cushion to 11 points.
United are handicapped. They have significant injuries in central defense and midfield, and their narrative-defying 3-1 win at Arsenal last weekend came with the cost of a red card to the team’s most creative player. Unless Andre Marriner is recognized to have made a mistake in sending off Paul Pogba — after the midfielder lifted a ball over an opponent who bizarrely decided to enter a 50-50 challenge in a position more familiar to cricket than elite football — the most anticipated match of this Premier League season will be deprived of English football’s record recruit.
Despite all he’s achieved at Old Trafford, Mourinho’s back is against another wall. He’ll be lined up to it for verbal execution should City not be stopped on Sunday.
Mourinho magic hidden by City’s shadow
Mourinho magic hidden by City’s shadow
Saudi Arabia hosts Italy’s football giants for Italian Super Cup
- Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and Atalanta prepare to battle it out in Riyadh
RIYADH: The Italian Super Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia gets underway on Thursday with giants Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and Atalanta preparing to battle it out for the silverware.
The four-team knock-out tournament will take place at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh.
Serie A champions Inter Milan will play the first semifinal against the Italian Cup runners-up Atalanta on Thursday.
AC Milan, who finished second in Serie A last season, on Friday will play the second semifinal against Juventus, the Italian Cup winners.
The final will take place on Sunday, Jan. 6.
It will be the fifth time that Saudi Arabia has hosted the Italian Super Cup.
The event is organized by the Ministry of Sports and is expected to attract local and international attention from fans and media alike.
It is the latest major global sporting event to be hosted by the Kingdom as part of the Ministry of Sports’ commitment to the Saudi Vision 2030 reform program.
Second Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship set for Abu Dhabi this month
- First edition in 2024 attracted 10,000 participants across 5 rounds
ABU DHABI: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation will hold the second edition of its successful Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship from Jan. 17 to 19 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Registration is now open for the UAEJJF-sanctioned event, which features competitions across various categories including children, youth, adults and masters.
The first edition of the championship spanned five rounds — two for the no-Gi category and three for the Gi category. It was held in various emirates and attracted over 10,000 male and female participants from leading clubs and academies nationwide.
“We are proud of the success of the first edition of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which carries a name dear to us all,” said Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri, vice chairman of the UAEJJF.
“This achievement was made possible by the limitless support of our wise leadership for sports and athletes, especially jiu-jitsu.”
Al-Dhaheri said the championship reflects the federation’s strategy to strengthen jiu-jitsu’s presence locally and internationally while continuing to nurture and develop national talent.
He added: “The male and female athletes demonstrated incredible skill and competitive spirit throughout the five rounds, showcasing their dedication to improvement and success.
“The championship has succeeded in providing a platform to identify and develop talent while promoting jiu-jitsu as a sport that instils discipline, patience, resilience, courage, and teamwork.”
He said the event played a “central role in encouraging community participation in sports, helping to build a generation that is physically and mentally strong.
“The large turnout of families supporting their children highlights the championship’s significance. It has evolved into a comprehensive event, combining a professional sports environment with cultural activities, sports exhibitions, and entertainment for all.”
‘Riyadh feels like home for Inter’, says Henrikh Mkhitaryan before Italian Super Cup start
- The Milan club face Atalanta in the first semi-final on Thursday at Al-Awwal Park
- Marten de Roon of Atalanta says ‘we are spreading the name of Atalanta and will try to do it also here in Saudi’
RIYADH: Henrikh Mkhitaryan said “Riyadh feels like home” for Inter Milan, as the club targets an EA Sports FC Italian Super Cup treble in the Saudi Arabian capital.
Having beaten city rivals AC Milan 3-0 in 2022 and Napoli 1-0 last year in the Italian Super Cup final in Riyadh, Inter face Atalanta at Al Awwal Park on Thursday night in the 2024 semi-final. In the final on Monday the winners will play either Juventus or AC Milan, who play the following night at the same venue.
Another Italian Super Cup triumph would equal a record four in succession for Inter — having beaten Juventus in Italy in 2021 — and midfielder Mkhitaryan said the fans in Riyadh can play a big part in achieving history.
“Riyadh feels like home,” Mkhitaryan said. “This is the third time we are going to play the Super Cup in Riyadh. We won the past two times and hope to succeed this time as well, but first of all we have to think about tomorrow’s game, which will be very hard to play. We know the strength of the Atalanta team. We hope the fans and the surroundings will help us to feel at home and win tomorrow’s game.
“We need to play our game to win the game. It’s very important for us to continue (our success) and win the Super Cup. It’s an important trophy. We hope to do our best. We are fully focused on this game.”
Simone Inzaghi, the Inter manager, said: “It’s clear that the targets of 2025 are the same as when I came three and half years ago. We represent Inter, an important club and we need to always target high. The target in this moment is to win games as much as possible, to win trophies as much as possible. The nearest target is to win the Super Cup because it means a lot for us. This year it’s harder to win because there are two games within a few days, but we’ll try to give our best already from tomorrow evening.”
Inter are the current Liga Serie A champions but are up against this season’s table toppers in Atalanta. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side — who won the UEFA Europa League last season — have a better goal difference than second-placed Napoli and are point ahead of Inter in third.
“Being in those competitions is very important, and playing finals is even more important as it gives prestige to the club and value to the players,” Gasperini said. “It makes us proud. It’s a great result being in the final phase of the Super Cup, but our target is to win the competition.
“I’d like to thank the people in Saudi Arabia for the way you have hosted us. We arrived yesterday evening and we didn’t see many things, but we are very impressed by the modernity and beauty of Riyadh. Congratulations again!”
Marten de Roon, Atalanta’s Dutch midfielder, said: “I agree with the coach. We are playing many finals in Europe and now also in Saudi Arabia. I don’t know how many supporters will follow us, but we are spreading the name of Atalanta and will try to do it also here in Saudi.”
Djokovic and Kyrgios lose in doubles to top-seeded team at the Brisbane International
- DJokovic and Kyrgios won their opening doubles match, a crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping affair by both players at Pat Rafter Arena
- Djokovic won his first singles match and will next play Gael Monfils, who he has a 19-0 record against
BRISBANE: The new doubles team of Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios are out of the Brisbane International in the second round.
The pair, granted a wild-card entry by tournament organizers, lost 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 Wednesday to the top-seeded team of Nikola Mektic of Croatia and New Zealander Michael Venus.
DJokovic and Kyrgios won their opening doubles match, a crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping affair by both players at Pat Rafter Arena.
Kyrgios lost his opening singles match on Tuesday after an 18-month absence from the tour due to injuries. Djokovic won his first singles match on the same day and will next play Gael Monfils, who he has a 19-0 record against.
Cavaliers top Lakers in LeBron’s first game at 40, Celtics crush Raptors
- Milwaukee Bucks erased a 19-point deficit on the way to a 120-112 victory over the Indiana Pacers
- Another big night from Victor Wembanyama saw the San Antonio Spurs finish the year with a lopsided 122-86 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers
LOS ANGELES: The league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers spoiled LeBron James’s first game as a 40-year-old, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 122-110 on Tuesday, as the NBA champion Boston Celtics closed out 2024 with a 125-71 demolition of the Toronto Raptors.
Jarrett Allen scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell added 26 points and Evan Mobley chipped in 20 for the Cavaliers, who notched their eighth straight win to push their league-best record to 29-4.
James, whose four NBA titles include a 2016 championship with his hometown team Cleveland, scored 23 points with four rebounds, seven assists and a blocked shot.
It was his first game since his 40th birthday on Monday, and made James the first player in league history to play a game in his teens and in his 40s.
Austin Reaves led the Lakers with an impressive near-triple-double of 35 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Anthony Davis scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, but after twice edging ahead in the second quarter the Lakers trailed by five at halftime and never led in the second half.
There was less drama in Boston, where the Celtics won by the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history — trailing only their 56-point triumph at Chicago in December 2018.
Jayson Tatum scored 18 of his 23 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics out-scored the Raptors 45-18 to effectively put the game out of reach.
Payton Pritchard scored 19 points off the bench as seven Celtics players scored in double figures.
The Celtics connected on 22 of their 43 three-point attempts as they handed the Raptors an 11th straight defeat.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said the big win — after the Celtics dropped four of their last six games — was just part of the process as the Celtics try to repeat as champions.
“There’s still stuff that we’ve got to work on... we’ve just got to continue to be better,” Mazzulla said.
The Milwaukee Bucks erased a 19-point deficit on the way to a 120-112 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, back after missing three games because of illness, found his rhythm after scoring just four points in the first half, finishing with 30 points and 12 rebounds.
Brook Lopez added 16 points and reserves Bobby Portis Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. scored 14 points each for Milwaukee, who trailed 83-64 midway through the third quarter.
“These are the type of games you need throughout a season to keep you going,” Portis said. “It was a great game for us, especially going forward, that we can look back on like: OK, cool, we do it one time we can do it again and just keep building, keep building.”
Another big night from Victor Wembanyama saw the San Antonio Spurs finish the year with a lopsided 122-86 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Wembanyama closed out a December to remember with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and three blocked shots in less than 26 minutes on the court.
His 17 points in the first quarter matched the Clippers’ total in the period.
In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and the Thunder notched their 12th straight regular-season victory, 113-105 over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Thunder trailed by as many as 12 in the second quarter and were down 52-46 at half time.
But they outscored the Timberwolves 43-23 in the third quarter and never trailed in the fourth on the way to a seventh consecutive win since they fell to Milwaukee in the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count as part of the regular season.
