Mourinho not replacing Faria is a gamble: Phelan

Bengaluru, May 15: Following the conclusion of the current season, Jose Mourinho is set to lose one of his long-term colleague and assistant Rui Faria who has decided to part ways from the Portuguese manager.

Faria has been with Mourinho since the starting of Mourinho's career and the pair has been managing sides for almost 17 years. But Faria now has chosen to part ways to concentrate on his own management career which will now leave Mourinho in the coming season without an assistant.

There has been speculation that, retiring Michael Carrick who will join Mourinho's backroom staff next season, could take Faria's position.

However, dismissing all such rumours Mourinho, following the win over Watford, has now suggested that he won't appoint a new assistant of his own at the moment and rather will try to operate his all backroom staffs in a way so that he does not require an assistant.

Mourinho said: "I will organise my coaching staff in a way where the assistant manager figure doesn't exist. I'm going to have assistant coaches, I'm going to have fitness coaches, and a structure where they have specialists in different areas connected to the performance.

"I have nobody in the world of football ready to be my assistant manager, so I prefer to educate people and to structure my staff in a way where there is education and improvement. And when Michael (Carrick) has the pro licence badges... I think it will be for him."

But regarding the decision, Sir Alex's former assistant, Mike Phelan who spent five years at Old Trafford has expressed a measure of doubt over Mourinho’s judgment to not designate a direct replacement for Rui Faria next season.

According to Phelan, every manager needs a right hand for discussions and not appointing a supporting hand could be a big gamble.

Phelan, speaking on Premier League Daily, said: "That's a good question. Everybody who is involved at Manchester United will know the pressures that come their way.

"He will need somebody to run things by now and again. He talked about Michael Carrick, he will probably sit in between roles and learn his trade a little bit.

"It's a gamble for him - he's saying he hasn't got anybody in that group already to replace Faria, whether he goes looking outside who knows? But it is a difficult role, you need somebody to talk to because you can't bounce things off people if they're not there."

Faria worked with Mourinho in Porto, Madrid and Chelsea as a fitness coach and assistant coach, however, after Mourinho's appointment at Old Trafford he was handed the assistant managerial role. Faria has recently been linked with the managerial post of Benfica who are said to be looking for a new boss after losing the league title to FC Porto this year.