5 reasons why Manchester United can win the Champions League

#2 The Mourinho second-season factor

Jose Mourinho's biggest successes tend to come in his second season at a club

While Jose Mourinho came under some criticism last season as he spent a huge amount of money – most of it on the world-record £89m fee for Paul Pogba – and then only finished sixth in the Premier League, it could be argued that United in 2016/17 were still a team in flux – parts of the Moyes and Van Gaal regimes still hung over Old Trafford – and that it was always going to take time for Mourinho to truly bed himself in any way.

Even with all of that, Mourinho was still able to deliver three trophies, albeit three lesser ones, but of course, the Europa League win provided the club with a priceless passage back into the Champions League. And in his past employment, although he was able to find instant success with Chelsea in his first time there, it’s often been the case that the Portuguese manager has had his biggest victories in his later seasons.

At Inter Milan for instance, critics deemed his first season – 2008/09 – as unsuccessful, but he, of course, went on to deliver the Champions League in 2009/10. 2010/11 saw his Real Madrid team beaten by Barcelona to La Liga and in the Champions League, but again, his second season saw them win La Liga by a huge margin, breaking records in the process. And his second attempt at the Chelsea job appeared to be flopping after a dodgy 2013/14, but 2014/15 saw his side romp to the Premier League title.

With a year under his belt at Manchester United, Mourinho is now comfortable and confident – it’s his club now. And he’s a proven winner. Who would bet against him delivering again?