Jose Mourinho claims anyone 'with a brain' can see Manchester United are in transition

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has offered an impassioned defence of his achievements at the club, claiming anyone with a brain can see that the club remains in “transition”.

Mourinho’s achievements have since arriving at Old Trafford in the summer of 2016 have come under intense scrutiny in light of United’s elimination from the Champions League by Sevilla in the round of 16.

The 55-year-old offered a robust defence of his achievements last Friday in a 12-minute speech in which he claimed that United lack “football heritage”, listing the European woes of the club since the last time they had reached the Champions League final in 2011.

But with his cross-town rival Pep Guardiola’s City side sweeping the league in style Mourinho has been forced to justify both his achievements, which include winning the EFL Cup and Europa League last season, and the style in which they have been achieved.

However he insists that those “with common sense” will see that United cannot be expected to compete with Manchester City.

He told CNN World Sport: “In the history of football all around the world, not just in England, you had the biggest clubs with the moments of transition, you have the biggest clubs with moments of continuous and permanent victories and these are phases in the club.

“I think really at this moment looking to us in the Premier League we have one team, one club clearly better prepared than us in the past few years to be first and we have 18 clubs behind us. One in front of us, 18 behind us.

“Of course, in the future we want to have 19 clubs behind us but this is the reality, and the reality is for people with brain, with sense, with common sense, with knowledge of what sports is, we are in a moment of transition.

“Being in a moment of transition and still managing to do what we did last season and win trophies and to do what we are trying to do this season, still trying to win a trophy and trying to be second because in this moment it is the only possible position for us to get. I think we are in a good position.”