IT was only three weeks ago but it almost seems like last year. Having covered Manchester United’s pretty impressive 2-1 win against Watford at Vicarage Road, I thought they had turned a corner. The football was incisive and dynamic and a subtle change in style seemed to be serving the team well.

This was on the back of a professional performance in a 2-0 victory at Burnley, and it was to be followed by a straightforward Champions League victory against Young Boys in Switzerland.

The turbulence of the pre-season and early weeks of the campaign itself, seemed to have been left behind by Jose Mourinho.

But it was United’s bad luck to be facing Wolves last week. I say that because this is no ordinary promoted side. There is a captivating quality about Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges and a commitment to the fluent game. It is highly watchable and also extremely effective.

Mourinho praised his opponents for their attitude and comportment while criticising his own players for a failure to match Wolves’ desire on the pitch.

Little did anyone think an EFL Cup tie at home against Derby County would be a banana skin, especially after United took the lead through Juan Mata as early as the fourth minute. The tie was of course elevated in profile terms due to Frank Lampard’s presence in the Derby technical area. Lampard, one of Mourinho’s favourites from his Chelsea days, said it was a pleasure to go up against his old boss. There’s little doubt he enjoyed beating him even more.

That it occurred on penalties matters not a jot. Manchester United are not supposed to taste defeat too often, but already it has occurred twice in the Premier League – at Brighton and again at home against Spurs – and now at the hands of a second-tier club in a cup competition.

Having followed Mourinho’s career with interest from long before he arrived on English shores, I have always felt he has a shelf life. There is a sense that, as good a manager as he has been, he wears out his welcome. He can be combustible and not someone who seamlessly blends into the fixtures and fittings of a club as Sir Alex Ferguson succeeded in doing better than anyone.

Mourinho is a strong results-orientated manager, not really a builder. United found his appointment appealing because they needed a boost after the disappointments that were David Moyes and Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford. But when the results dry up, what is left to be enthralled about?

There are those who feel Mourinho might be a couple of bad results away from the sack. I am less sure about that. United need the next appointment to be the right one for the long haul, not just a short-term fix. The installation of a new manager should come along with that of a sporting director. It would be a far better strategy to introduce fresh thinking ahead of next season.

Another big club, Bayern, pulled the plug on Carlo Ancelotti around this time last season but they had the perfect man for the job of stabilising the situation for a few months in the previously-retired, treble-winning coach, Jupp Heynckes. There is no equivalent to Heynckes on the horizon.

Does that mean United writing off this season? Not necessarily. But it is hard to make an argument that they are going to overhaul Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, in no particular order. For every memorable performance there is an accident, or two or three, waiting to happen.

With the squad at his disposal, should Mourinho be doing better? I believe so, on two fronts. An argument can be constructed that apart from an average central defence, the team should be delivering more than they are. Of course it was a failure to strengthen the centre-backs that has created this consternation.

Additionally, there is an aesthetics deficiency. Yes, it is about wins in the final analysis but United possess a proud tradition of achieving victory the stylish way. At times they have hit high notes, such as that day at Watford. But for the most part it has been a grind.

Mourinho’s relationship with his best-known player, Paul Pogba remains at the heart of the story. When the manager says he won’t captain the side again, you know this is unlikely to be properly repaired.

Make no mistake, Pogba is a huge asset to Manchester United as a player and also it must be said, commercially. More so than the embattled manager.

I said a few months ago, I didn’t see the Mourinho-United marriage lasting much longer. What seems most likely is a convenient arrangement continuing until the end of the campaign with a big change coming next summer.

Mourinho, due to his success rate, cannot be written off completely. But backing him this time, particularly after yesterday’s calamitous 3-1 away defeat to West Ham, looks ill advised.

I SPENT much of the past week in Germany, the country that can officially look forward to hosting Euro 2024. The Germans were always going to be favourites to get the nod from Uefa ahead of the only other applicant, Turkey.

There was confidence throughout the country that the bid would be successful. The 2006 World Cup was a huge success and there is every reason to believe Euro 2024 will be a tournament well worth attending given the marvellous, fan-friendly venues in a country whose top flight attracts the highest attendances in Europe.

Last week was also a reminder though, that German fans don’t like being taken for granted. Many are irked by the creeping commercialisation, in particular the movement of five Bundesliga matches to Monday nights. Two games this midweek kicked off at 6.30pm.

A “Stimmungsboykott” (atmosphere boycott) was in place, organised by a multitude of supporters’ groups. For the first 20 minutes the noise levels were not indicative of the Bundesliga at all. Then, the fans exploded into life so as to emphasise the important role they have at a German football match. In truth, this is one of the league’s biggest pluses. Atmosphere is king.

The Bundesliga wins visitors over quickly and it strikes the newcomer that it is a shared experience with other supporters. The league is doing its best to spread the German football gospel beyond its own shores. But they have rightly ruled out doing what the Spanish League has proposed, namely hosting a domestic league match in the USA or other far-flung venues.

Euro 2024 gives Germany a chance to show the football world that what it has to offer is special indeed.