Man.Utd ‘will succeed sooner or later,’ says Mourinho ahead of Europa clash

Jose Mourinho says struggling Manchester United “will succeed sooner or later” as the Fenerbahce boss prepares to take on his former club in the Europa League on Thursday.

United manager Erik ten Hag is under pressure after a poor start to the season, which has included draws in their first two European matches -- against Twente and Porto.

But Mourinho, who has also managed a string of other high-profile clubs including Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham, said United had potential and he wants them to succeed.

“Maybe you English guys think I’m bluffing, think I am playing mind games,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “I’m not playing anything -- they have a better team than the results are showing.

“I studied them the maximum I could with my staff and my analysts. We watched everything in the Premier League, we watched everything in the two matches, Twente and Porto -- there is work there.

“They will succeed sooner or later. Hopefully sooner and hopefully before one day I go back to the Premier League and they become my opponents.

“At this moment they are just my opponents for one match.”

Mourinho, who managed United between 2016 and 2018, winning the League Cup and Europa League, was asked why his former club had struggled over the past decade.

“Honestly, I didn’t lose one minute thinking about it,” he said. “I wish the best to Man.Utd since the moment I left.

“I left with a good feeling for the club, with a good feeling for the fans and I want the best for them, so if things are not going amazingly well for them it’s not something that makes me happy, but at the same time I have no time.”

The 61-year-old suggested that during his own reign at Old Trafford, the United hierarchy had not had the same patience they were showing towards Ten Hag.

“What happened for sure, because it’s very objective, is that they kept faith with the coach, they support the coach, who is staying season after season and that means stability, means trust and they are giving him conditions to keep developing his job,” he said.

“That was a difference in relation to me because as you know we won the Europa League, we finished second in the Premier League.”

Mourinho, who was named as the new Fenerbahce coach in June following his sacking by Roma, said United would be at “maximum strength” for the match in Istanbul.

“One thing are the results that Manchester United are having and another thing is the potential of the team,” he said. “The potential of the team is high.”

He added: “If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it’s easy -- Manchester United and Tottenham.

“The Premier League is a different level of quality, intensity, pace, tactical culture -- a different level of everything.

“Tomorrow, I think we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams.”

Meanwhile, Ten Hag said he is relishing this week’s Europa League showdown with Mourinho, calling the former Manchester United boss “an example for many, many managers”.

The Portuguese is one of the most decorated managers in history and while he proved a divisive figure at United during his tenure from 2016 to 2018, he won the League Cup and Europa League.

“It’s a big game for both of us,” he said at the Football Writers’ Association Northern Managers Awards dinner on Sunday.

“I really enjoy facing him and playing against him. He has always good teams, he is a winner -- he (has) won so many trophies -- I think he is an example for many, many managers.”

Agencies