Manchester United fans still sign songs about that magical 1999 season when Fergie’s side won the treble (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League).
New United manager Jose Mourinho is aiming to go one better this season as he wants to win everything, that is the Leagie Cup, FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League.
Mourinho made it abundantly clear during his unveiling at Old Trafford last week that his aims were much higher than those of his predecessor Louis van Gaal. Merely qualifying for the Champions League is simply not good enough.
‘I’m not humble when I talk about targets, I’m quite aggressive on that,’ Mourinho said.
‘I want everything and everything is to win matches, play well, score goals, don’t concede goals… everything. I want everything.
‘I know that we are speaking about a hypothetical situation which is very difficult to reach but I want everything.’
In an interview with Inside United in conjunction with adidas, the Special One spoke about a variety of subjects, including his belief that the Premier League champions could require fewer points than ever before. The lowest total stands at 75 in 1996-97 – won by United – with Leicester reaching 81 in May.
‘If you look at the Euros and you see what Wales have done and what Iceland did, I think football is changing,’ Mourinho added.
‘It’s not just about the amazing economic situation that every club in the Premier League has now, which allows them to buy well and buy expensive and good players to compete for the biggest prizes.
‘It’s not just about that, it’s also about training methods, preparation and mental preparation, and also nobody is afraid of anybody.
‘In the past you could smash opponents, if you were one of the best teams, 5-0 or 6-0 and win 10-15 matches in a row. I think these times are over and fewer points will win the title. Even with a handful of defeats you can be champions because the profile of the competition has changed.’
With the increase in TV revenue, very few of the big teams now play at 3pm on a Saturday. The most disliked kickoff time for fans is the 12:30 on a Saturday, but this is actually the one Mourinho like best:
‘I love the early kick-off,’ he said. ‘I love to wake up early in the morning, go for breakfast, go to the bus, go to the game, play the game and win if it’s possible and go home and that’s it – game over.
‘I don’t like to wait for matches. In my time in Spain [at Real Madrid] I had some matches where we played at 10pm and I had one Super Cup match against Barcelona which started one day and didn’t finish until the next day! I hate this.’
