Manchester United: Five Managerial Candidates to succeed van Gaal

1. Jose Mourinho

I can hear your groans as I’m writing this section. Mourinho has been linked to United ever since he was sacked as manager at Chelsea, and the onslaught of reports all saying the same thing has become dull and uninteresting.

But there is no denying the speculation that the Portugese manager is the most likely candidate to take over at the end of the season. With his arrival comes numerous trophies and a reputation of winning competitions.

Of course, Mourinho also brings several worrisome traits, including a history of excluding younger players from his squads and mismanaging players. Juan Cuadrado was the most recent victim of the former Madrid manager’s habit of leaving signings on the bench in favor of deploying a consistent starting team.

Appointing Mourinho as manager would be the most polarizing decision Ed Woodward and the owners could make, as it would immediately separate supporters into pro- and anti-Mourinho. While the hiring would likely provide a trophy or two in the first season, questions would loom over the club’s long term future given the manager’s tendency to leave after only a few seasons.

Next: Talking Points from United's draw vs West Ham

One only need look at Chelsea as evidence of Mourinho’s style of immediate success followed by rapid regression. After winning the Premier League last season, the Blues fell to such new lows that the manager was sacked before the end of the calendar year.