MOURINHO: I’ll WIN EPL TITLE IN ONE YEAR INSTEAD Of THREE
Mourinho: I’ll win title in one year instead of three
LONDON: Jose Mourinho was told to get Manchester United back on their perch within three years.
But he vowed to the club’s owners it will only take him one season.
United have finished seventh, fourth and fifth since last tasting English Premier League success – but their new Portuguese boss calls them “untouchable” in terms of prestige.
In a wide-ranging interview he revealed his masterplan to bring back the glory days:
l Eleven-hour shifts at Carrington to get United back on track.
l Changing the mentality of players into winners.
l Gearing up for a city rivalry, this time with Pep Guardiola.
l Getting no help from the Premier League fixtures but still staying on top.
Nothing but instant success will satisfy the 53-year-old, which he told executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the Glazers during contract negotiations.
Mourinho said: “No ultimatum. No demands. Just tranquillity to play and work my three-year contract.
“The message from the owners and Mr Woodward was this – ‘ Get your three years, do your work, improve the team and bring us back where we belong during a threeyear period’.
“My message was that I wanted to win the title in the first season.”
Mourinho was speaking in Shanghai where United are on a pre-season tour.
His first aim is to change the mentality of his players from also-rans under Louis van Gaal into title contenders. And he butts in when told the club loses £30mil (RM160mil) in sponsorship money if they fail to reach the Champions League this season.
He said: “I want to be champion. To say before the season starts that the top four is the target? The top four is not the target. We want to play to be champions.
“If during the season we realise the points difference doesn’t allow us to fight for the title, we are going to establish a new title and when you can’t be champion the next target is to finish top four.
“But day one, I don’t want to hide behind a bad season or no Champions League football to say we want to finish top four.”
Mourinho’s aim comes despite having to play on Thursdays in the Europa League – and the fact he expects no help from the Premier League.
Expect big changes to the United line-up in Europe as “You need to rotate players”.
Mourinho said: “The Premier League doesn’t make any favours for you.
“You play Thursday and then I don’t think they are going to play us Monday, they are going to play us Sunday and probably at 12 o’clock.
“It is the worst. For the Premier League it is the worst.
“It is much easier to be a Champions League team.
“Obviously it is much easier to be what Liverpool were two years ago, no Champions League and what Chelsea are next season with no Champions League.
“One complete week to work every week, that is a dream.
“That is a dream for a manager who wants to improve his team.
“So we are in the worst possible situation.
“But in this moment I want my players to think ‘every day I want to be champion and want to fight for the title’.”
Mourinho will be up against the world’s best managers too, including his old foe Guardiola.
But facing any of City’s last three bosses would have seen sparks fly as Mourinho has had run-ins with Manuel Pellegrini and Roberto Mancini too.
He said: “It was never a problem for me, so to meet Pep at City or Pellegrini or Mancini or whatever, it is no difference.
“I was in Milan coaching Inter and Carlo Ancelotti was there coaching AC Milan.
“I was in Madrid coaching Real and Diego Simeone was coaching at Atletico.
“I was in London, Arsene Wenger was at Arsenal and there were other top managers at West Ham and Tottenham.”
Mourinho could expect to see Guardiola out on the streets of Manchester. But since arriving he has been too busy putting in the hours to make sure United start the season properly.
He said: “I go there at eight in the morning and leave at 7pm.
“Dinner and sleep. I really don’t know Manchester and I’m not worried about it.
“It is the club dimension and the training ground, the facilities and the conditions. That is my world.”