The era of one who was once considered as a villain by the Old Trafford faithful will begin on the 13th of August 2016, as Jose Mourinho launches his first ever campaign as manager of Manchester United and the fans dream of a return to the heady heights from which the club has descended in the past three seasons.
The change is in the air at Old Trafford, and by the time Euro 2016 has ended, excitement will be at a fever pitch. Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho has a summer to introduce changes and create a squad that he thinks will be capable of winning the Premier League. He has already roped in former Villarreal defender Eric Bailly, and Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to join the ranks after the European Championship. But come August it isn’t the big names but the results that will matter.
The fixture list for 2016-17 has recently been announced by the FA and we take a look at some clashes that could assume supreme importance for the Red Devils in the coming season.
10/09/2016 – Manchester City (Home)
The first major litmus test for Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United comes in the derby match at Old Trafford. The affair will be further elevated by the rivalry between the Portuguese and his former nemesis in La Liga Pep Guardiola.
United have a relatively straightforward start to the season in their opening three games, coming up against AFC Bournemouth, a Southampton side missing dynamic manager Ronald Koeman, and newly-promoted Hull City. The Manchester derby poses their first big challenge and will test the mettle of the side in the early days of their campaign.
22/10/2016 – Chelsea (Away)
The roar at Stamford Bridge is sure to be deafening as they welcome back an old friend who is now the man they have to beat. Jose Mourinho is Chelsea’s most successful manager and a fan favourite, his acrimonious departure causing a heartfelt backlash by the Blues faithful.
However he now returns to London as a guest rather than the host. After a tough run of fixtures against Leicester City, Stoke City and Liverpool, Manchester United will have their work cut out for them when they face Chelsea. The reception of Mourinho at the Bridge, whether joyful or bitter, will in itself make this a must-watch game.
31/12/2016 – Middlesbrough (Home)
In the final game of the year Manchester United come up against newly promoted Middlesbrough, the same team that knocked them out of the League Cup this past season. It will also be a personal encounter between Jose Mourinho and his former assistant manager at Real Madrid, Aitor Karanka.
On New Year’s Eve the Red Devils will have a fair idea of how they stand in the battle for the title, and this match will be crucial in carrying their good form into the new year or negating a poor start. Leicester City and Arsenal have shown us in the past two seasons how influential a change in year can be to a club’s season.
14/01/2017 – Liverpool (Home)
Although Jose Mourinho’s first home game at Old Trafford is against Southampton, this match takes on a greater significance because of the historic rivalry between these two sides. The edge to that competition has lulled in recent times, but Manchester United still place a lot of pride in showing Liverpool up in front of their fans. They did the double over the Reds last season, and would love to do it again.
Mourinho will come up against German mastermind Jurgen Klopp for the second time, and if the former can engineer an emphatic victory, then this could be the day that any lingering doubts over accepting Mourinho as the heir to Sir Alex Ferguson will be firmly put to rest.
06/05/2017 – Arsenal (Away)
A more modern rivalry for Manchester United is against the Gunners of North London, with whom they fought fiercely for dominance in the beginning of the new millennium. The away match against Arsenal turned the tide against United last season, ending their brief sojourn at the top of the table.
That fixture is scheduled for the crunch end of the season this time around, with just two matches to play after the two clash at the Emirates Stadium. Both teams are expected to be very much in the title picture and victory could prove essential for Manchester United’s season.
