Jose Mourinho sets his sights high at Manchester United

New Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says he will not settle simply for returning the club to the Champions League.

The former Chelsea boss says he is "a bit frustrated" not to be in Europe's top club competition this season but expects United's absence to last just one campaign.

However, speaking to the media at his official unveiling as United boss on Tuesday morning, the Portuguese insisted he is targeting more than just a return to the top four.

He said: "I was never very good playing with words or hiding behind words, and hiding behind philosophies. I was never good at that, I never tried to be good on that.

"I was always much more aggressive in my approach, with the risks that obviously can bring. It would be easy, even honest and pragmatic from my side, to focus on [the fact] we don't qualify for the Champions League. 

"It would be quite pragmatic to say: 'Let's work and let's try to be back to the Champions League, be back to the top four.' I am not good on that and I didn't want to be good on that.

"I am more aggressive. We want to win.

"I want everything. I want to win matches, I want to play well, I don't want to concede goals. I want the fans to be behind us.

"I don't hide, I chase Sir Alex's record in Champions League matches. 

"Manchester United is a Champions League club. We have to make sure in July 2017 that this club is where it belongs."

Mourinho takes over a United side who have not challenged for the Premier League title since they triumphed under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, with a highest finish of fourth since then.

And, having guided Chelsea to the title in 2015, Mourinho was sacked last season after a disastrous start to the campaign.

However, the 53-year-old is not apprehensive about the challenge he now faces at United, pointing to his lengthy record of success at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

"This challenge obviously doesn't make me nervous," he said. "This is not a dream job, this is reality. I am the Man United manager. I think it comes at the right time in my career.

"My history in the last 10 years was always to live with big clubs' expectations.

"I know obviously the responsibility and expectation, and at the same time I know the legacy, what is behind me and the history of this club and what the fans expect from me.

"I have great motivation and I can say that I am where I want to be."

Mourinho also found time for what appeared to be a trademark dig at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who last won the title in 2003/04, adding: "There are some managers who last won a title 10 years ago, some of them the last time was never.

"The last time I won a title was one year ago.

"I play against myself. I feel I have to prove, not to the others, but to myself. I will never be able to work without success - that is my nature."

United won their first trophy since Ferguson's departure when they lifted the FA Cup last season under Louis van Gaal but Mourinho says simply improving on the efforts of Van Gaal and David Moyes will not be deemed acceptable.

"I could not approach this job in a defensive point of view by saying the best we did was fourth and the FA Cup," he said. "I can't go there.

"The last three years, I want to forget. I don't want the players to start by thinking we have to do better.

"Doing better is to finish fourth. I want to be aggressive - we want to win."

Van Gaal did earn praise for bringing young academy players into the United first team, although his hand was somewhat forced by a string of injury problems.

Since his hiring was announced, it has been suggested that Mourinho would not be so eager to give such players a chance, but he was quick to refute the notion that youngsters at other clubs have not thrived under his supervision.

"Do you know how many players I have brought through from the academy?" he asked. "Forty-nine. If you want, I can give you that list.

"And I did so with two important factors.

"Sometimes, you promote because you don't have another choice. You have lots of injuries, so you have to bring them through.

"The second factor is that, when you are not playing for big targets, it's easier to bring them through.

"My injury record is very low, so I never promote because of a need. I did it because of conviction and decision.

"Last year was the only season of my career I was not fighting for the title. Every other year I was fighting for it until the last moment.

"I promoted 49 players and some of them we are speaking about big names, who are now Champions League winners.

"Forty-nine is a lot. One lie repeated many times looks true but, in reality, it is a lie."