JOSE: THIS IS MY TEAM NOW
United boss is upbeat ahead of today’s opener We’re more organised Our training is better We have a top squad £48m Ivan on his way
JOSE MOURINHO reckons fans will see his REAL vision of Manchester United this season – even though he is one summer window short of his ideal team.
Fifteen months on from inheriting a side drilled the Louis van Gaal way, the Old Trafford boss believes this time he will unleash his United on the Premier League and Europe.
He has stamped his unique Mourinho-style DNA on the club – on and off the pitch, having won the Europa League and EFL Cup in his first campaign in charge.
Mourinho has added £171million of talent this summer, signing Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof (right) – with the hope of one more new face to come before the window slams shut.
And he believes his fingerprints are now imprinted on a United outfit he predicts will have a real go at trying to win Old Trafford’s first League title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s bowed out of football with the trophy in 2013.
“In many ways this is my team now,” said Mourinho, who kicks off the new season at home to West Ham today.
“In terms of the squad this is, or was, my second transfer window. In this complicated world of the football market, I was thinking three transfer windows to achieve my objectives, I need that that, but in two transfer windows we now have a good group.
“As a club we are organised in the areas that support the first- team squad, we are much better organised at every level.
Stronger
“The medical department is better. The structure that organises all the logistics is much better, we organise the training routines much better, we are much stronger as a team in the analysis department.
“I am doing the work that I did in every other club and that work remains in place in all the other clubs, even today. That is my job to do that. And I am doing this at United.
“I feel the club is much better, so we go for it this season. We are going to try to win the title. We are going to try to give a hard fight to the top teams in Europe in the Champions League and, as you know, I always loved the English cups.
“I always have respect and a desire to do well in them and I always like to go to the finals.
“So we go and we have a good squad, and one also good in numbers.
“And we have people coming back later in the season like Ashley Young and Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo – maybe even Zlatan.
“They can still be like new players for us later in the season, so we are fine.”
While Mourinho predicts a fourpronged assault on the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, the bookies have Manchester rivals City as favourites to win the title after Pep Guardiola’s £217m spending spree.
But three- time Premier League winner Mourinho had a veiled dig at City, claiming it takes more than money alone to win the coveted prize.
“It’s not that simple,” he said. “Of course, to buy lots of good players is important and better squads are better equipped to win the title. That is normal but that is not enough.
“Every one of us in his own way is equipped to do it. Tottenham, without any spending, are equipped because they have a fantastic team.
“They have a fantastic manager, great stability, they are together for a long time.
“Manchester City? Fantastic manager, great spending, already very good players.
“Arsenal, the same, great, experienced manager, same team who didn’t sell like some were expecting. Liverpool, they are equipped too.
“Chelsea l ost some players but bought some players. It is difficult to say which one is better equipped.
“I just feel the competition can be better than ever this season.” MANCHESTER UNITED deal-maker Ed Woodward is trying to give Jose Mourinho his perfect summer by finally landing Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic. Woodward has met the Croatian’s agent Fali Ramadani in a bid to resurrect a transfer that seemed dead when Inter coach Luciano Spalletti insisted the 28-year-old was staying put. United have had two bids rejected by the Serie A giants, but it is believed that Woodward is now close to meeting the £48million asking price. United hope to finalise the deal before the end of transfer window.