Ferdinand backs Mourinho to succeed at United
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes any fans worried by the imminent arrival of Jose Mourinho as manager only need to look at the Portuguese's success elsewhere.
Mourinho, who has won league titles with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, is expected to complete his protracted move to United on Friday with reports suggesting he will finalise a three-year contract to succeed Louis van Gaal.
While the deal has not yet been made official, Ferdinand passed on his congratulations to Mourinho in a message on his Facebook page and is confident he can flourish at Old Trafford, especially after his acrimonious exit from Chelsea in December last year.
Ferdinand wrote: "Congratulations to Jose on being announced manager of the biggest club in the world!
"This is Jose Mourinho's most exciting & most challenging job yet.
"One thing I can tell Manchester United fans is that they have got themselves a true winner in all aspects. His CV shows success!
"After his recent unsuccessful time at Chelsea in the final year, I can assure you this winner is now a wounded animal which makes him such a mouthwatering appointment. Jose went from winning the League cup & Premier League to a season of disappointment at Chelsea and I am certain he will want to restore all of that very quickly."
Ferdinand, who made 455 appearances in all competitions between 2002 and 2014 for United, also outlined what Mourinho should prioritise if he is to thrive.
He said: "The first thing he needs to do is install 'winning mentality' back into the club. Get this ingredient back into the players but also the people that work inside the club day to day. Give them back that belief so it is breathing throughout the club again, which is so important. But doing the above in the Manchester United way is equally as important."