See what benchmark has Jose Mourinho set for his new look Manchester United team

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Manchester United head into their 5th season post-Sir Alex. While the start has been promising, it’s still too early to predict where they would finish come May 2018. Jose Mourinho however, has set a definitive target for his squad to achieve this season.

Premier League – Target: Winners

Mourinho feels United have the necessary pedigree to triumph in this season’s Premier League. It’s hard to disagree with the Portuguese; Manchester United have had a good start, their best in over 100 years, while the rest of the contenders have failed to get off to the perfect start. Manchester United will also be buoyed by the fact that Jose Mourinho has won the league in every of his second seasons spent at all the clubs he’s managed so far.

They would, however, have to improve their home form, which was poor last season as they could manage just 8 wins in 19 games.

Another factor that dwindled their league position were the draws. Manchester United lost nearly 30 points last season due to their wastefulness in front of goal. Even if they would have managed to win 20 points from those; they would be placed second in the league table.

So far so good for Mourinho’s men in the domestic circuit, but they need to be all guns blazing in this unpredictable league; as any slip up would damage their chances drastically.

 

FA Cup – Target: Winners

Jose Mourinho has had a bittersweet relationship with the FA Cup. Having won it just once with Chelsea, beating Manchester United in the first FA Cup final held at the new Wembley Stadium. He’s since, fallen short of winning the prestigious tournament.

Manchester United last won the tournament 2 years ago; Louis van Gaal’s first and only trophy for the club. It was their 12th FA Cup win; a haul that has since been overtaken by Arsenal, who are the most successful team in the tournament at present.

Mourinho prioritizing this trophy is a good step for the club. The last time they won a league double was way back in 1999. Winning this tournament would mean efficient usage of the squad. Mourinho does have plenty of options to pick from and has youth at his disposal too. It’ll be interesting to see how far he takes them in this competition.

Champions League – Target: Last 8

In a recent press conference, Jose Mourinho admitted that United were 2 years away from competing with the very best in Europe. Having a squad that is fairly inexperienced in terms of Champions League football, it is not surprising to see why Mourinho aims at a place among the last 8. It will be Manchester United’s return to the top tier of European football after one and a half years; after having failed to progress past the group stages in 2015/16.

 

Mourinho has managed to set realistic targets for his squad this season. Can they live up to the targets set for them by the manager? Let’s wait and watch.

Read: The best players from Gameweek 2 of the EPL.