This was a sixth win in a row in all competitions for Athletic Bilbao.© AFP

Jose Mourinho says struggling Manchester United “will succeed sooner or later” as the Fenerbahce boss prepares to take on his former club in the Europa League on Thursday. United manager Erik ten Hag is under pressure after a poor start to the season, which has included draws in their first two European matches — against Twente and Porto. But Mourinho, who has also managed a string of other high-profile clubs including Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham, said United had potential and he wants them to succeed. “Maybe you English guys think I’m bluffing, think I am playing mind games,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “I’m not playing anything — they have a better team than the results are showing.

“I studied them the maximum I could with my staff and my analysts. We watched everything in the Premier League, we watched everything in the two matches, Twente and Porto — there is work there.

“They will succeed sooner or later. Hopefully sooner and hopefully before one day I go back to the Premier League and they become my opponents. 

“At this moment they are just my opponents for one match.”

Mourinho, who managed United between 2016 and 2018, winning the League Cup and Europa League, was asked why his former club had struggled over the past decade.

“Honestly, I didn’t lose one minute thinking about it,” he said. “I wish the best to Man Utd since the moment I left.

“I left with a good feeling for the club, with a good feeling for the fans and I want the best for them, so if things are not going amazingly well for them it’s not something that makes me happy, but at the same time I have no time.”

The 61-year-old suggested that during his own reign at Old Trafford, the United hierarchy had not had the same patience they were showing towards Ten Hag.

“What happened for sure, because it’s very objective, is that they kept faith with the coach, they support the coach, who is staying season after season and that means stability, means trust and they are giving him conditions to keep developing his job,” he said.

“That was a difference in relation to me because as you know we won the Europa League, we finished second in the Premier League.”

Mourinho, who was named as the new Fenerbahce coach in June following his sacking by Roma, said United would be at “maximum strength” for the match in Istanbul.

“One thing are the results that Manchester United are having and another thing is the potential of the team,” he said. “The potential of the team is high.”

He added: “If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it’s easy — Manchester United and Tottenham.

“The Premier League is a different level of quality, intensity, pace, tactical culture — a different level of everything.

“Tomorrow, I think we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams.”

Jose Mourinho had claimed even Portugal’s reserves would be contenders for Euro 2024 and they relied on that strength in depth to beat a stubborn Czech Republic 2-1 for a winning start. Two substitutes combined for a 92nd-minute winner as Francisco Conceicao struck his first international goal with his first touch of the ball from Pedro Neto‘s cross. Another of those sent on by coach Roberto Martinez on Tuesday in Leipzig had also found the net, but Diogo Jota‘s header was ruled out for offside against Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal followed the path of England and France as all three of the pre-tournament favourites got off to winning starts, albeit in unconvincing fashion.

Ronaldo was as ever the focus of attention, but the Portugal captain endured a frustrating night. He will have to wait to add becoming the European Championship’s oldest goalscorer to his collection of records.

Martinez’s decision to stick by the 39-year-old as the focal point of his attack may come under closer inspection as the tournament progresses.

Ronaldo was dropped for Portugal’s final two matches at the 2022 World Cup and replaced by Goncalo Ramos.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker Ramos this time never got off the bench, along with Barcelona’s Joao Felix, to underscore the wealth of attacking talent on offer to Martinez.

“We are a country of 10 million but we have a huge amount of players in the (European) top-five leagues,” said Martinez.

“That’s a strength and a weakness. If you don’t use it well, it can become 26 individuals trying to show their own thing.”

‘Ultimate example’

The Spaniard Martinez has plenty of experience of major tournament football.

He took Belgium’s so-called golden generation to the World Cup semi-finals and Euro quarters, but this is his first shot at glory with Portugal.

Many have questioned whether the former Wigan and Everton manager is the right man to summon the best from such an abundance of talent.

The critics would have been ready to pounce as Martinez waited until the 89th minute to introduce Conceicao and Neto as part of a late triple change.

But on a night when Pepe became the oldest player in Euros history at 41, and Ronaldo also passed the previous mark for an outfield player, it was Portugal’s new generation that got them out of trouble.

Twenty-four years on from when his father Sergio scored a hat-trick against Germany at Euro 2000, Conceicao enjoyed his breakthrough moment for his country on German soil.

Conceicao senior has also been his son’s manager at Porto for the majority of Francisco’s club career.

Martinez, though, said the 21-year-old winger had proved he was worthy of standing on his own two feet.

“He is the ultimate example of earning it. He showed he is ready,” added Martinez.

“Francisco is a very mature player. He plays vertically and he’s got a nose for danger in the box.

“For a national team coach, having a player like that is great.”

Unlike England and France, who were 1-0 winners over Serbia and Austria respectively, Portugal were forced to come from behind after Lukas Provod put the Czechs ahead against the run of play.

Robin Hranac’s own goal quickly levelled and Martinez hopes the character showed by Portugal will make a “scary” collection of stars even harder to stop over the next month.

“Things were tough for us today, but the way the team reacted, it is great for a coach to have a group of players as resilient and scary as they are.”