Mourinho will not park the bus with United – Cole

Manchester United fans will see Jose Mourinho abandon his trademark defensive approach to Premier League football this season, according to former striker Andy Cole.

Known for his conservative tactics and a tendency to ‘park the bus’, Mourinho has rarely assembled teams that play the brand of free-flowing attacking football that made United the Premier League’s most successful team under Alex Ferguson.

But Cole, who scored 93 league goals in 195 appearances for the Red Devils and won five top-flight titles with the club, reckons Mourinho will have to adapt his style of play if he is to be a hit at Old Trafford.

“He’s got this so-called ‘parking the bus’ philosophy. I think that will change at Manchester United.” Cole told Omnisport.

“Hopefully we can get back to playing the kind of football that Manchester United have played over numerous years under Sir Alex Ferguson; attacking, galvanising, scoring goals, free-flowing.

“If you speak to any Manchester United fan, that’s what they want. It has been tough being a Manchester United fan for the past two years. Watching the football they played under Louis van Gaal, it wasn’t a typical Manchester United team and he didn’t play the Manchester United way.

“Hopefully Jose Mourinho will be able to bring that kind of X-factor back to Manchester United – and a fear factor as well.”

Cole backed the first of Mourinho’s four signings, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to be an important influence on the United team in the coming season.

The Swede, who scored the winning goal against Leicester City to help his new side lift the Community Shield on Sunday, won the Ligue 1 title in all four of his seasons at previous club Paris Saint-Germain.

“He’s a maverick, he’s got a great personality, and I think at Manchester United you need someone like that,” added Cole.

“If you look at what Manchester United have had over the past few years, there hasn’t been someone like him with that kind of aura and presence.

“I like his mannerisms, I like that he’s prepared to speak his mind. I think he’ll do very well.”