Jose Mourinho says Manchester United job is one of the greatest challenges of his career
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JOSE MOURINHO loves a challenge — and there have been few greater in his career than the one he faces at Manchester United.
He compares it to his time at Real Madrid, where he had to revive a fallen giant and get them roaring back to the top again.
With rival clubs having more money than ever before, Mourinho believes there has been an evolution in the English game.
And the Special One reckons the Red Devils simply got left behind.
As United prepare to face Barcelona late tonight in another glamour friendly in Maryland, Mourinho said: “The hardest part was when there was an evolution in football overall.
“Not just the typical powerful teams — but all the others. The evolution in relation to the changes in football allowed them all to be economically strong and to develop.
“But at the same time Manchester United did not follow that.
“My work is not just about arriving at developing a football team to attack, with football targets and objectives — it is more than that.
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“It was to try to adapt to a new dynamic. That was the same at Real Madrid, a big club with big expectations.
“But they were in a difficult period and the distance between Real and Barcelona was growing bigger and bigger. When I arrived it was not just about developing a team to stop that Barca domination but also to develop everything around the team.
“In that respect, I see similarities in terms of the difficulties and dimension of my job at United.
“I’d like the next United manager to find a much, much, much better club and team than the one I found. I found an amazing club with an amazing history — but not one ready to win.
“What we did last season, winning the Europa League, League Cup, sixth in the Premier League, is what gets into your eyes.
“But I know my job was much more than just success in competitions and being unsuccessful in the Premier League.”
Mourinho, 54, revealed Real chiefs were desperate to keep him before his return to Chelsea in 2013. He said: “Everybody in the club — president, CEO, the board, myself — we all felt that the difficult part of the job was done and they wanted me to stay.
“In fact, I almost had to beg them to let me go. But I don’t think that is going to happen at United, because I don’t want to go.”
One of the reasons Mourinho feels so at home at Old Trafford is down to the squad he has built.
He speaks about the group like a father would talk about his children and seems genuinely thrilled to be managing them.
It is a similar bond to the one he had with his Chelsea stars during a first stint at Stamford Bridge, where he won five trophies in three seasons.
Mourinho said: “As you know, I went back to Chelsea. But more than Chelsea, it was about going back to England. Back to a country where my family likes to be and wants to stay.
“But it’s the football that I like, the competitions that I like. It’s where I feel more comfortable and then I went to Manchester United.
“First of all, I felt the dimension of the challenge. Manchester United, as you know, is Manchester United.
“And I have to be honest, what makes me feel like this is my players.
“I like the guys. I keep saying the same thing. We are not the best squad in the world and don’t have the best players in the world.
“If we do, then we have some — not eight, nine or ten superstars like other big clubs.
“But I like them all. I like to work with them. That is something during your career that does not happen every season.
“It’s difficult to like players the way I like these guys. In teams there are always guys you like a lot — and some you don’t enjoy so much.
“You don’t like their personality. But these guys are phenomenal — to live with them is phenomenal. They are big friends and good guys. We are better than last season and the spirit is fantastic.
“The fact we had some success last season also was important to relax some personalities.”
One of those key personalities in the dressing room is £89million signing Paul Pogba.
While Michael Carrick may be the new club captain, Mourinho sees Frenchman Pogba as leader of the Old Trafford’s new generations. The Portuguese explained: “Paul ended the season as an important player in the dressing room.
“He starts this season from day one very comfortable with that role.
“Michael is a silent leader, a leader by example, and the fact Paul can be the leader of the young people helps.
“He is still an academy boy — he is still the guy who has a relationship with the club after starting out here.
“So I think he has a fantastic role to play with us.”
Mourinho is almost always better in his second season at a club, too, winning titles everywhere. It is the challenge at United, a mighty one, but one he is ready for.
