Mourinho feeling better than ever

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believes many years of experience have made him a better manager in "every way" and says he expects his stint at the Reds to be the longest of his career.

Speaking to reporters on Friday ahead of the match against Arsenal, Mourinho suggested that he has improved throughout his storied career with many of Europe’s top clubs, while remaining as passionate and motivated as he was when he first took charge of a team.

“My passion for the job is the same, nothing's changed there," he said. "Obviously I am much more mature. It's very difficult now to have something in my professional life that I am surprised with or I don't know how to react to. Everything for me now is like déjà vu.

"You just have to keep these motivational levels, because I believe that one day, a manager can say: it's enough, I don't want more. But, until a manager decides that, I think you get better and better."

Jose cited Jupp Heynckes, the 72-year-old Bayern Munich head coach who came back from retirement to lead his side to this year’s Bundesliga title and the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, as an example of a manager who has improved with experience.

“He was retired. He was, I don't know, at home with the grandsons or enjoying his life and suddenly he comes back to football and he's even better than he was before," said an admiring Mourinho.

The 55-year-old Reds boss also told the press that he “for sure” expected to be managing into his sixties. Next month will mark two years of his tenure at Old Trafford and when he was asked whether he expected to be with United longer than any of his previous clubs, he responded: “I think so."

Mourinho, whose longest spell at one club so far was his first stint at Chelsea between 2004 and 2007, admitted: “In other clubs I was already thinking about, what next? I had things that I had to do.

“I had to go to Italy, for sure, and I had to go to Spain. There were things that I really wanted to do. At this moment, there is nothing that I have waiting for me around the corner. I don't want to do anything different than what I am doing now.”

Sunday’s game will be the 28th and final time Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger leads the Gunners out at Old Trafford and Mourinho referenced one of his rival's greatest achievements - the season when his side won the 2003/04 Premier League title without suffering a single defeat.

“I'm going to remember him as a big opponent, as the manager of the Invincibles," said Jose. "The Invincibles that I met when I arrived in the country in 2004, the Invincibles that made me a better coach. That's the way I will remember him."