Jose Mourinho admits that he knew when he took over at Manchester United that there would be no “quick fix” to the club’s problems.
The Portuguese has been in charge at Old Trafford for close to two years and claimed the League Cup, the Community Shield and the Europa League in his first campaign, while the FA Cup remains on the cards this time around.
However, United’s season has been overshadowed by that of neighbours Manchester City, who have ploughed 16 points clear of them in the league to wrap up the title with five matches still to play.
“I knew the club I was coming to," he told Sky Sports News. "I know that one thing is to go to a club that is prepared to win and you just need to arrive and give the last touches, to give your personal quality, personal knowledge and the team, and the club, is ready just for the last click
“I knew that was not the case here. The owners knew that. The CEO, he knew that. So when the question was, in this period of my career, am I ready for this kind of job? Yes, I am ready because my career was about new things all the time.
“I was always very Portuguese in the sense that I'm always ready to discover and try new things, always ready to change country, to change club, to change culture, to change everything in the search of new things.
“I did all of that. So when I came in this period to Manchester United I was ready for this and I knew it was not to come and have simultaneous success.”
As United were not in a polished state when he arrived, Mourinho is content with the work he has accomplished.
“In spite of it, three trophies, three finals, probably a third or fourth in worst-case scenario. Not bad,” he said.