MUFC Milestones: Mourinho's Feats In 2016/17

Our MUFC Milestones series continues with the managerial feats achieved by Jose Mourinho in his highly successful first year at Manchester United...

MAJOR TROPHY IN A MAIDEN CAMPAIGN
Jose Mourinho notably became the first United manager to claim a major honour in his first season with the club when he lifted the EFL Cup at Wembley on 26 February. He said afterwards: "I wanted very much to win a major trophy with every club and by doing that with Manchester United, it is quite a sense of relief. It was a big target for me to win a trophy with United but the reality is we want more. My contract is long, I have two more years plus this one so hopefully I can win something more this season."

BEST LEAGUE CUP BOSSES
United's EFL Cup final victory also meant Mourinho matched Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough as one of the competition's most successful managers, having won it four times overall - he previously collected the trophy in 2005, 2007 and 2015 with Chelsea. Jose acknowledged: "We know Sir Alex is the best ever, so to be with him and also Mr Clough, with his great history in English football with Nottingham Forest, it's fantastic for me."

FIRST MATCH, FIRST HONOUR
Of course, Jose started his United reign by winning a trophy in his first competitive match - the Community Shield clash with Leicester City at Wembley. He's the third Reds boss to achieve that feat after Dave Sexton, whose team shared the Shield with Liverpool in 1977, and David Moyes who won it outright in 2013. Moyes credited that victory to Sir Alex Ferguson, given it was his predecessor's title triumph that booked United's Wembley place opposite FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic, and Mourinho similarly saluted his hotseat's previous incumbent. "I have to thank Mr [Louis] van Gaal because without his victory in the FA Cup we wouldn’t be here. So congratulations to him because he's part of this."

TOP MAN AMONG 20 MANAGERS
Although not classed as a major trophy, the 2016 Community Shield still moved Jose Mourinho ahead of Pep Guardiola in terms of all silverware won by the current Premier League bosses during their careers. The boss had then collected 21 team honours, one more than the City manager, and he has since moved further ahead on 23 after adding the EFL Cup and Europa League to his stunning CV. Arsene Wenger drew level with Guardiola in second place, on 20 all-time trophies, when he guided Arsenal to FA Cup glory in May.

FULL SET OF FINAL WINS IN EUROPE
Lifting the UEFA Europa League maintained another impressive Mourinho statistic - he has a 100 per cent record in European finals with four wins from four matches with a trophy at stake. His previous successes were with Porto in the UEFA Cup (2003) and Champions League (2004) plus the latter competition as Inter Milan boss in 2010. The triumph also completed United's full set of major honours.

MULTIPLE UEFA CUP WINNER
Jose became the sixth manager to lift the UEFA Cup more than once after Luis Molowny (Real Madrid x 2), Juande Ramos (Sevilla x 2), Rafael Benitez (Valencia, Chelsea) and three-time winners Giovanni Trapattoni (Inter Milan, Juventus x 2) and Unai Emery (Sevilla x 3). He's therefore the most successful Portuguese coach in the competition's history - Andre Villas-Boas is the only compatriot to have won it, with Porto in 2011.

Credit: Manutd.com