WIGAN // They have chorused Jose Mourinho's name before, but rarely in paeans of praise. But times have changed at Manchester United. Allegiances have shifted. An enemy has become an ally. The soundtrack to his first game sounded strange, but it may become familiar.
Unlike his unloved predecessor Louis van Gaal, the Portuguese's name was sung long and heartily. Their fans borrowed a chant from their Chelsea counterparts. They repeated it, time and again. They sang about the Portuguese's "red-and-white army", a new addition to their songbook. Temporarily, cheekily, they revived one of their older efforts, chanting "sit down Mourinho" when their fourth manager in as many years failed to respond to requests for a wave. He duly raised a hand at the second time of asking, to cheers. After two years when his predecessor sat in his dugout clutching a clipboard, the United faithful welcomed the sight of a manager on the touchline. Mourinho liked what he heard.
“I never saw something like this – so many supporters, the permanent support to the team, the manifestation of happiness with a few things they could see in the team,” Mourinho said. “This is absolutely fantastic. If this is like this in a friendly match ... if they want something from me I will try to give them everything.”
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As he was serenaded by the fan base, he gave them a 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic. A comfortable affair offered some early insights into Portuguese’s thinking and a chance to some men from the margins. Two scored, though it is unlikely to secure them major parts in his plans.
One is destined to be the answer of a quiz question in future years: the first goal of Mourinho's reign was finished by Will Keane. The 23-year-old striker, yet to score a senior goal in his injury-hit United career, had the simple task of finishing after Jussi Jaaskelainen's poor clearance struck Juan Mata and the Spaniard centred unselfishly. The pre-match song, celebrating the Wigan striker whose name reverberated around Euro 2016, was Will Grigg's On Fire. It was Will Keane who was on the scoresheet.
Andreas Pereira added a second, with a crisp shot on the turn, as a second substitute found the net. The faces may have been unfamiliar but Mourinho was pleased with the way his brand of football was recognisable. “I could see they started thinking about football the way I think and that pleased me,” he said.
He played 4-2-3-1, the formation his Chelsea sides invariably adopted. And, while shorn of 12 players who had participated in Euro 2016 or the Copa America, some selections were revealing. Mata began on the bench. Daley Blind, an automatic choice in the centre of defence for Van Gaal, started the second half at left-back after Luke Shaw, who made his first appearance for 306 days after a double leg break, came off while Mourinho’s new recruit Eric Bailly played 74 minutes in the middle of defence. Ashley Young, bizarrely deployed as a full-back and a striker by Van Gaal, was used as a left winger.
He came on, as one of seven half-time changes, for Memphis Depay. The Dutchman had stubbed a shot wide when he should have scored but the significance also lay in his supplier: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with a delightfully curled cross.
The Armenian ought to have struck himself, volleying over. That apart, his was an encouraging bow. It offered evidence why the £26 million (Dh129) midfielder recruited was voted the Bundesliga’s player of the year last season. He offered speed of foot and thought alike, combining quickly and easily, piercing holes in the Wigan defence with ease and roaming with elusive excellence.
“Mkhitaryan is a top-class player and this is the best stage for him,” Mourinho said. “He is so sweet on the ball.”
“He can play different positions behind the striker,” Mourinho said. That makes Mkhitaryan a threat to Wayne Rooney. He has long been the face of United. Now that is Mourinho.
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