As Jose Mourinho prepared to face his former club in a Europa League tie at the Ulker Stadyumu, the enigmatic manager couldn’t resist causing a bit of controversy by stating that he was still hopeful of a Manchester United title.
While Ten Hag’s United are currently in a disappointing twelfth place in the league, it is worth remembering that they are just 6 points off third place at present.
Upcoming Premier League fixtures against West Ham, Chelsea, Leicester, Ipswich, and Everton could completely change how people look at the season, and the current price of 200/1 among bookmakers suddenly looks like great value.
Online betting expert Edgar C Blakeslee explains that sports betting across Europe and on football is extremely popular. The Premier League is one of a number of options available, including live match betting and goal-scoring markets.
However, you might struggle to find a market for Mourinho’s discussion of the title, as he spoke about his hopes of being awarded the 2017-18 Premier League title.
This claim alluded to the fact that rivals Manchester City are currently being investigated for 115 charges of financial irregularities, with an outcome expected next year at some point.
If Manchester City is found guilty of illegally paying its way to glory, it could be stripped of past titles. That season, United finished in second place with 81 points, four points ahead of Tottenham but trailing City by 19 points.
Despite being just 7 years ago, the 2017/18 team is almost unrecognisable with the United squad lining up now. De Gea, Pogba, Mata, Sanchez, Lukaku, Carrick, Matic, Herrera, Fellaini, and the inimitable Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all in the squad.
The team came close to FA cup glory that year, but an Eden Hazard penalty was enough to separate the teams as Chelsea went on to win. If they were to be awarded the Premier League title, there would be some frustration mixed in among the bragging rights.
Not being able to celebrate a title at the time will feel like a loss that can’t be amended by rewriting the history books.
Other issues that could arise from this include financial reparations as the benefits of winning the Premier League would also include greater prize money, and the potential for improved sponsorship deals.
Mourinho has already said that he hopes he will receive a medal and the bonus his contract promised for leading United to the championship. While all this was probably said tongue in cheek in classic Mourinho style, if United are presented with the title, he would be well within his rights.
The current focus for United fans at the moment is seeing current manager Erik ten Hag finally see his team click into place and enjoy a good run of form in the league, cups, and in Europe. A Champion’s League place is well within the realms of possibility this year, and being awarded a previous title would be the icing on the cake.
