July 2 was International Sports Journalists' Day.
It was also the day New Manchester United's players reported back for pre-season.
Mourinho had not chosen the date because of any particular affection for sports journalists. Quite the opposite. In private, he often described the football press as his natural enemy and took obvious pleasure in winding reporters up whenever the opportunity presented itself.
The journalists seemed to enjoy the relationship just as much.
At times, it was difficult to decide who was using whom.
Mourinho provided headlines.
The media amplified his personality.
Both sides complained constantly about the other, yet neither could function quite as effectively without the relationship.
Football and the press had always worked that way.
So while sports journalists elsewhere might have been celebrating their professional day, dozens of them were gathered outside the gates of Newton Heath before breakfast.
They were waiting for the European champions to return to work.
An experienced Manchester reporter had positioned himself on slightly raised ground overlooking the approach to the entrance.
"This is the spot," he told the young photographer beside him. "When the cars turn in, you get three-quarter front shots before they reach the gate."
The rookie adjusted his camera.
"Watch both directions as well," the veteran continued. "And pay particular attention when you see something red."
"Why red?"
The older man stared at him.
"The Red Rebels play in red."
The younger reporter frowned.
"Real Madrid play in white. Their players don't all drive white cars."
The veteran gave him a light thump on the shoulder.
"You're thinking too much. Just keep your camera ready."
He turned back towards Newton Heath.
There was something about the place now.
Seven years earlier, it had been the training ground of a club almost nobody outside Manchester had heard of.
Now young footballers across Europe knew the name.
Scouts visited it.
Coaches studied it.
Supporters travelled just to stand outside the gates.
For New Manchester United fans, Newton Heath had become one of the places most closely associated with the club's identity.
The veteran lowered his voice.
"Ronaldo bought himself a new sports car this summer. Mourinho has one. Ethan has one. Beckham and Kaká have theirs. Plenty of the others drive red as well."
The rookie's eyes widened.
"All of them?"
"Not all of them. I'm telling you not to waste your best shots staring at delivery vans."
The younger man laughed.
Then the veteran's expression softened.
"You know, when some of these people arrived here, they were earning almost nothing by Premier League standards. The club itself had barely any money."
He looked towards the entrance again.
"Now they're European champions."
The rookie glanced at him.
"You've covered them for a long time, haven't you?"
"Since 2001."
"Then you must have stories."
"Enough for a book."
"Martin Samuel's writing one, isn't he?"
"Not just Samuel. Scarlett Elan is involved as well. She was one of the first Manchester Evening News reporters to spend serious time around the club. Between the two of them, they'll have enough material to fill several volumes."
Before the rookie could ask another question, the sound of an engine echoed from further down the road.
The veteran straightened immediately.
"Here we go."
Other reporters reacted at the same time.
Cameras came up.
Photographers shifted towards the barrier.
A bright red sports car appeared around the bend.
Green-and-gold detailing flashed briefly in the morning sun.
The veteran recognised the registration before the driver was clearly visible.
"Mourinho."
The shutters began firing.
Mourinho approached the gate without showing the slightest interest in the crowd waiting for him.
He wore sunglasses.
He did not stop for questions.
He barely slowed until he reached the security barrier itself.
The gates opened.
The car disappeared inside.
A few reporters attempted to move after it but were immediately stopped by security.
The veteran checked his camera display and grinned.
"Perfect."
The rookie looked irritated.
"How did you know it was him that quickly?"
"Registration number."
"You memorised their number plates?"
"If you're going to stand outside a training ground for four hours, you might as well know what you're looking for."
He nodded towards the road.
"And get ready. Mourinho is almost always among the first in. The players won't be far behind."
He was right.
Within ten minutes, more cars began arriving.
Beckham.
Kaká.
Terry.
Curtis.
Essien.
Evra.
Drogba.
Some drove straight through the entrance.
Others slowed long enough to acknowledge the waiting crowd.
A few of the younger fringe players stopped briefly for questions, but nobody stayed long.
Mourinho's expectations were well known.
Pre-season began when he said it began.
Late arrivals could expect extra work.
Several players were absent for legitimate reasons. Messi, Ishmael Miller, Michael Johnson, Mikel, Agüero and Fàbregas were still away on international youth duty.
Everyone else expected back had reported.
That included the two new senior arrivals.
Dani Alves.
And Kasey Keller.
By mid-morning, Mourinho stood on one of Newton Heath's first-team pitches looking over the returning squad.
Some players looked remarkably fresh.
He knew several had cut their holidays short and returned to Manchester early to train privately.
Others looked distinctly less impressive.
One or two had the tired expressions of men who had enjoyed the final nights of their holidays a little too enthusiastically.
Mourinho did not care.
The holiday was over.
"First stop is the performance centre," he told them.
The group became noticeably quieter.
"You know the standards. If you've come back outside your targets, you'll deal with the consequences."
Nobody needed further explanation.
Players began heading towards The Lab.
Beckham walked with Keller and Alves.
Both had already toured Newton Heath after completing their moves, but this was their first proper day as members of the first-team squad.
And it was the first time they had seen the entire performance operation functioning at full capacity.
Keller had spent years in England and Germany.
Alves had experienced Benfica's facilities.
Even so, both were impressed.
Newton Heath did not look spectacular simply for the sake of appearances.
Almost everything had a purpose.
Recovery areas.
Biomechanical testing.
Medical screening.
Strength and conditioning.
Video analysis.
Individual technical review rooms.
Movement and reaction testing.
Data collection stations that fed information directly to the performance staff.
Alves slowed as they passed one of the enclosed tactical-analysis suites.
Beckham noticed.
"You'll spend plenty of time in there."
Alves looked through the glass.
"What happens?"
"Video work. Position-specific analysis. Sometimes individual sessions with the analysts. Depends what José wants."
Curtis caught up behind them with Kaká and several others.
"Mostly they show you all the things you did wrong."
Beckham glanced over.
"And occasionally what Curtis did wrong."
Curtis ignored him.
"More importantly, have they told you about the indoor competition yet?"
Alves looked interested.
"What competition?"
"Five-a-side and three-a-side," Beckham explained. "Teams are drawn rather than chosen. First team and academy players are mixed together."
Keller raised an eyebrow.
"Academy players too?"
"Especially academy players."
Curtis shook his head.
"Don't underestimate them. I made that mistake last year."
Kaká started laughing.
Curtis pointed at him.
"You weren't exactly brilliant either."
That only made Kaká laugh harder.
Beckham explained the story to the two newcomers.
The previous season's five-a-side competition had ended with a youth-heavy team containing Walcott and Ishmael beating a side featuring Curtis and Kaká in the final.
Ishmael had spent weeks reminding Curtis of it.
Curtis had spent just as long inventing excuses.
"It was one match," Curtis insisted.
"It was the final," Kaká replied.
"Same thing."
Alves grinned.
Beckham looked at him.
"So, are you joining?"
"Absolutely."
There was no hesitation.
The idea of playing small-sided football with Kaká, Ronaldo, Beckham, Drogba and the academy's best youngsters was hardly difficult to sell.
Keller understood the value for a different reason.
Competitions like that made integration easier.
New players could spend weeks learning names and personalities through ordinary training.
Put everyone into a competitive five-a-side tournament and the barriers tended to disappear much more quickly.
Indoor football was only part of it.
New Manchester United organised several voluntary competitions across the season.
Basketball.
Table tennis.
Swimming events.
Video-game tournaments.
Most were scheduled outside formal training and carefully managed by the coaching and performance staff.
Sponsors occasionally provided prizes.
The players themselves suggested new events.
The point was not to turn Newton Heath into a leisure centre.
It was to give a squad drawn from half a dozen countries something to do together besides train, recover and go home.
Mourinho liked the competitive element.
The club liked the effect on team chemistry.
The players simply enjoyed it.
Alves looked around with obvious amusement.
"I thought I was coming here to play football."
"You are," Beckham said. "You just have several other ways to lose to us as well."
Keller laughed.
As they continued towards the testing area, Beckham dropped back alongside the American goalkeeper.
"Have you thought about coaching after you finish playing?"
Keller nodded slowly.
"A little."
At thirty-six, he knew the question was becoming increasingly relevant.
Beckham mentioned the coach-education programme New Manchester United had recently established in Manchester.
He had already enrolled himself.
The courses could be fitted around the football schedule, and experienced professionals were encouraged to begin earning qualifications before retirement rather than waiting until their playing careers were over.
"You'd be a natural candidate for the goalkeeping side," Beckham said.
Keller considered it.
He had always expected to remain involved in football somehow.
Goalkeeping coach.
Academy work.
Perhaps something with the United States national-team programme.
He had never decided.
"I'll look into it."
"Do that."
The physical testing began soon afterwards.
Body composition.
Mobility.
Strength.
Aerobic conditioning.
Reaction tests.
Previous injury markers.
The performance staff compared every result with the targets each player had been given before leaving for the summer.
Those who had returned within the agreed ranges were released to the next stage.
Those who had not were given additional conditioning programmes.
By the time the squad returned to the training pitch, several players were wearing expressions that told everyone exactly how their testing had gone.
Curtis looked at one of them and laughed.
"Good holiday?"
The answer was unprintable.
Mourinho was waiting.
Beckham led the players onto the pitch.
The first training session of the new season began.
The initial phase at Newton Heath would last three days.
There would be no heavy tactical work yet.
The coaching staff wanted to assess the squad after the summer, restore basic rhythm and identify anyone needing individual conditioning.
After that came America.
New Manchester United would travel to Los Angeles for a two-week training camp.
The programme had been designed jointly by Mourinho's coaching staff, The Lab and Mark Davey's commercial department.
Football came first.
The players needed conditioning.
The coaches needed tactical sessions.
Dani Alves needed time with the squad.
Keller needed to learn the defensive organisation.
Returning injured players had to be monitored carefully.
But the club's commercial commitments mattered too.
In Los Angeles, New Manchester United would play a pre-season friendly against LA Galaxy.
There would also be a charity exhibition involving a celebrity side drawn from American sport and entertainment, with names such as Tom Cruise, George Clooney and Kobe Bryant expected to take part in the wider event.
From California, the squad would travel to New York.
There they would play another warm-up fixture against the MetroStars.
AC Milan and Real Madrid would arrive in New York at roughly the same time.
The United States national team would complete the four-team field for an Audi-sponsored summer tournament designed to bring elite European football to the American market.
It was an ambitious itinerary.
There were commercial appearances.
Sponsor events.
Training sessions.
Media obligations.
Two domestic American opponents.
A charity event.
Then a tournament against some of the biggest names in world football.
Nothing had been scheduled casually.
The Lab had mapped the travel and recovery demands.
Mourinho had insisted on protected training blocks.
The commercial department had negotiated around those requirements rather than overriding them.
The result was a tour intended to serve three purposes at once.
Prepare the squad physically.
Prepare them tactically.
And strengthen New Manchester United's rapidly growing presence in the United States.
For the players, however, all of that still felt distant.
America could wait.
Their first problem of the new season was much closer.
Mourinho had a whistle in his hand.
And several of them had just failed their fitness targets.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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