Jose: No Second-season Advantage

Jose Mourinho has played down the hype around his impressive second-season record at his previous clubs.

The Manchester United manager has never failed to win the domestic title in his second season at any of the teams he has managed - Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

It's a trend United fans hope will continue this season and while Mourinho, speaking exclusively to Soccer Saturday ahead of his side's clash with Everton, live on Sky Sports Premier League on Super Sunday, admits he has been more hands-on in his side's preparations for this campaign, he has downplayed his second-season record.

"I don't know why people speak of the second season because I won in the first season and I won in the third season," Mourinho told Soccer Saturday. "I don't really understand it.

"I just think that the second season is a good season for evolution in relation to the first season because in the first season you arrive and sometimes, like in my case, I was not even able to organise a pre-season because it had already been organised. I couldn't have one single finger of influence on it.

"When I arrived in the first season there was already investments made in buying players, changing the squad, selling players, that you probably would have done in a different way. For sure I would have kept some of the players that were sold, for sure I would not buy some of the players that were bought.

"In the second season, you have your influence at that level. You have better conditions to work and get those results. But you are playing against other teams whose managers are in the third or second or fourth or fifth seasons. So second may not be a big advantage."

United have certainly made an excellent start to Mourinho's second season in charge at Old Trafford.

They are currently top of the Premier League on goal difference from rivals Manchester City after an unbeaten start to the campaign and they also got their Champions League campaign off to a flying start in midweek with a 3-0 victory over Basel at Old Trafford.

And Mourinho is delighted with his side's start, insisting they are a different team from last season.

"At the team level I am happy," he said.

"I think after one year we are a different team. Not just because we are playing in the Champions League, which is the competition for Manchester United, but because in the Premier League we managed a good start which put us initially in the top positions in the table.

"The way we play, the way we think football, the way the fans think, the empathy between the fans and the team, the confidence levels of the players, the footballing level I am happy with what we've done so far."

When asked how good a position United are in after four games, he added: "In no position? We have 10 points. Man City have 10 points. Chelsea have nine points, Tottenham maybe seven, Liverpool seven, so what's the difference?

"One point, two points, three points, one weekend, two weekends. They also have managers with title histories. Not all in the Premier League but in other countries. Everybody has a history of success."

Wayne Rooney returns to Old Trafford for the first time on Sunday since leaving in the summer when Everton take on United on Super Sunday.

The former England captain - who is United's leading all-time scorer with 253 goals - left the club for a return to boyhood side Everton, and Mourinho insists it was an easy decision letting a "legend" like Rooney leave the club.

He said: "I think it is easy. When the legend decides. I think so [it is the legend's choice].

"That way it is easy because you don't have to think a lot.

"You just have to respect the player's desire, and what they decide. And when they're a legend they deserve that freedom of choice."

Credit: Skysports.com