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Jose Mourinho eager to take Manchester United back to the top

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Jose Mourinho

The Portuguese who replaced Louis van Gaal as Manchester United boss in May was unveiled to the press and paraded with the club shirt and scarf.

And he insists he knows what’s expected of him.

“I arrive into a club that is difficult to describe,” he said. “I don’t like the nomination that many people use, dream job.

“This is reality – I am Manchester United manager. It is a job that everyone wants and not many have had the chance to have.

“I have it. I know the responsibility, expectation and the legacy of this club. I know what the fans expect from me.

“This challenge doesn’t make me nervous.”

Mourinho revealed he plans on using Wayne Rooney as a striker – or second striker – rather than a midfielder.

He said he’s signed three players and wants a fourth. He took a swipe at Arsene Wenger and says he didn’t force Ryan Giggs out.

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United have officially signed two players – Eric Bailly and

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – but Henrikh Mkhitaryan is set complete his move this week .

“I think the third player is official, right?” Mourinho said.

“We made the nucleus of four priorities, four positions. To give a certain balance to the squad, a certain push in terms of quality. The quality I need and want.

“Especially the ones with more vision. I am more a manager that likes specialists and not so much the multi-functional players because I am very clear in my model of players.

“Multi-functional players are one or two because when you are in trouble, you need one or two guys who can fill. But basically I want specialists.

“We decided four targets. From these targets, we have three. Until we don’t have the fourth, we are still working hard.

“Myself and the structure. When we have the fourth, I will breathe.”

The fourth signing Mourinho is talking of is expected to be

Paul Pogba .

United are increasingly confident of signing Pogba from Juventus and could pay up to £100million for him despite letting him go for free in 2011.

And the talk on Rooney being used further forward than he was for England opens up a spot for Pogba.

Rooney moved deeper later last season and played in one of the holding roles for England during Euro 2016 .

But Mourinho insists he will play higher up under him.

“In football there are many jobs on the field,” he said.

“I think the one that is more difficult to find is the guy that puts the ball in the net.

“Players change their characteristics during the years and it is normal that a player at that age changes a little bit.

“But there is something you will never change and that is the natural appetite to put the ball in the net.

“So maybe he is not a striker anymore, a No 9 maybe, but with me he is never a No 6, playing 50 metres from the goal.

“He will be a No 9, a No 10, a nine and a half! But not No 6, not even No 8.”

Mourinho addressed the departure of Giggs after 29 years at Old Trafford.

Giggs wanted to be the United boss having been assistant manager for David Moyes and Van Gaal.

“The club wanted to give him any important job in the club, he made the decision. A decision when you need to be brave,” he said.

“It’s not my responsibility that Ryan is not in the club. The job Ryan wanted is the job the club decided to give me – Ryan wants to be Manchester United manager.”

And he couldn’t resist a dig at nemesis Wenger.

“There are some managers who won the title 10 years ago, some have not won a title ever,” he said.

“The last time I won the title was one year ago, so if I have something to prove, imagine the others.”

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