After qualified success in his maiden campaign as Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho will hope to dust off his tried and tested second-season formula in 2017-18.
Mourinho led United to victory in the League Cup and Europa League last season, the latter yielding a place in the Champions League, but their football was drab and they finished a distant sixth in the league.
Having won the league in his second season in his last five jobs – Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan and Real Madrid – he will be expected to mount a strong title challenge at the very least.
“Can we win it? We can, but maybe we won’t,” Mourinho said in a recent interview.
“Everything is good and strong, but some of them (other clubs) are really strong in the market, so it is going to be difficult.
Victor Lindelof was a big-money signing for Manchester United. Photo: AFP
“Normally the second season should be better than the first because you know the club, you know the players. The players, they know you.
