Jose Mourinho insists he will take more risks than Louis van Gaal at Manchester United.
The Dutchman was criticised over United’s uninspiring playing style during his two seasons at Old Trafford but Mourinho, who has signed a three-year contract, claims he is not interested in possession-based statistics and is ready to adapt his style of play.
“The style of play, the players, they have a huge contribution in that,” Mourinho told MUTV.
“I think one of my characteristics as a manager is to adapt to what I have in hand. I’m sure, even losing, Man United fans will remember some of my teams that played and won here - Chelsea 2004, 2005, 2006, Real Madrid when we came here in the Champions League, so I feel that one of my strengths is to adapt to the players I have.
“I don’t defend that a manger should have a style of play. A manger should be open, to adapt, and to create a style adapted to the reality. And what we are trying to do is bring the players with a certain style.
“Yes we want to play different to the last season. Mr Van Gaal is absolutely a top manager, his philosophy is very clear, my philosophy is different. It’s not better, it’s different.
“I’m more vertical, I’m more intense, I like ball possession that has a way to create a chance. I don’t like ball possession just to keep statistical possession of the ball and be afraid of playing a game of transitions.
“Transitions will always come during the game, I’m not afraid of losing the ball, I’m not afraid of risk.”
Mourinho also emphasised the need to improve United as a defensive unit and says teams at Euro 2016 have tried to do the same at this summer’s tournament.
“But I have one characteristic, for example this Euro is proving that I’m right. By the defensive point of view, at the moment, everybody is trying to defend better,” he said.
“The lines are much more compact, the central area is much more occupied, you give space to the opponents down the sides, not in a central area. You compact lines in the short period of space, and these are characteristics that, in my point of view, are very, very important to a team. Defending well is very, very important.
“A football team is everything, every moment of the game, every principle, every sub-principle you have to work, and I work a lot to have my team prepared for every possible situation.” - Goal