Manchester United's current situation not irreparable under Jose Mourinho

Nobody at Old Traffold wants the club to be in a situation as it is presently. Not Ed Woodward, who is busy with agents representing some very talent footballers. The staff, many of whom are the club’s fans from Manchester and just want their beloved club to start punching its weight again.

Not even the manager Jose Mourinho, who defends himself and his outstanding historical record against his many detractors or "lovers" as he calls them. Not the players who are seeing their reputations damaged week in week out with an average performance in relation to their huge salaries and the expectations placed upon them. 

Nor the club fans who've been bored into slumber by a style of football that has mostly screamed "this is not Manchester United" for over six years.

As delighted as Fellaini's 91st-minute goal was celebrated on Tuesday, several fans had mixed feelings about it. A failure to win would have brought a need for managerial change closer - so they hoped.

In terms of point, Manchester United are closer to the bottom of the league than the top, Mourinho's stock has never been lower at Theatre of Dreams among fans. However, among fans, 70 and 80 percent want to see the Portuguese boss replaced. 

The vocal support for Mourinho from the crowd at Old Trafford is minimal, although, it's yet to turn to dissent. Just three weeks ago in Turin, fans sang Jose's name, but the long-held view that the club shouldn't dismiss him now is a minority one.

There are more supporters to that opinion than previous suggestion that Ryan Giggs should have succeeded Louis van Gaal - 82 percent of Red Devils fans wanted Mourinho back then and only 6 percent Giggs.

The hope still is that the Portuguese turns the situation around. Judge him after the three years he has always requested and let's have more of him cupping his ears to fans who've abused him all match and smashing water bottles into the ground because one of his players finally scored a goal. 

That was almost as pleasurable as seeing the sea of yellow in the away end of Old Traffold lit up by Young Boys fans brandishing flares. Nobody was harmed and football games should contain such colour.

Mourinho's sacking is not imminent but United still have so much to play for. This United team defeat Juventus away. 

In January, Jose Mourinho will likely get backing in the transfer market, but there's much conviction any new signings will make much difference. Football fans with long memories will recall 1989 when a certain Alex Ferguson was accused of wasting money on bad players. 

With Mourinho not buying the defender he wanted in the summer, he does have some power. The club have invested too much in their coach to just give up after a poor start to this season, but he's in everyday storm and there's little love for him in the media.

If you go to war with everyone then you're not likely to win friends and influence people, but the manager has his side to the story too. 

He feels his words and context are twisted against him, though he did set a miserable tone as he scowled his way through preseason when all United fans wanted was a bit of reassurance that things were going to be all good. Maybe Mourinho was the only one being the realist there, but when you talk a team's prospects down, surely things will not eventually look up.

Tuesday's victory over Young Boys helped a little. However soporific, a win against the Swiss club was a win. 

When you're winning, you can get away with so much. Mourinho's obvious disappointment on Tuesday when Marcus Rashford missed chances on has become a major talking point, another stick to spank the manager with but Alex Ferguson did exactly same thing whenever Cristiano Ronaldo fluffed chances as he matured as a player.

If -- and that’s a big if -- Mourinho is to see out his contract to 2020, some things have to change. The team need to inject more entertainment, especially at Old Trafford where empty seats have started to be seen at matches. 

Not many, but the fact there are hundreds dotted about is scarce. United need to start picking up more points, because if they don't, they're heading for a finish outside the top four.

As we approach the close of a miserable 2018 for United with a run of matches starting at Southampton today, it's not unrealistic to expect this to happen as there are some positives. 

The team have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League after qualifying from a tough group. 

Mourinho also assures that De Gea wants to renew, but you wonder why De Gea would. Maybe he's just a player who enjoys his job so much that he knows he's going to do more of it at Manchester United than at other big clubs because United aren't as good as the best.

In a manner they never did in Ferguson's glory days, the club has been working with fans to improve the atmosphere, listening and taking guidance. 

From next season, sections of the Stretford End will be controlled by vocal-minded fans. It's unprecedented. Disabled United fans will also benefit from 118 new wheelchair positions at Old Trafford.

None of this will dispel the evident flatness from the recent disappointing results while the team plays so badly, but it was these same players who had fans so excited exactly a year ago when they travelled to Arsenal and won 3-1. 

The situation is grim at Old Traffold now, but it's not irreparable, even with a coach most fans have lost faith in.