'We must secure second place this season'

We are down to the final eight games of the Premier League season as we welcome Carlos Carvalhal, the Swansea City players and their travelling supporters today. 

Swansea have recently battled their way out of the relegation places and will be determined to stay out of the bottom three for the rest of the season, so we know that they will come to Old Trafford to fight hard for a result. However, we are looking to start our run-in to the end of the season with an important victory.

There is one club in front of us and 18 behind us. While in the future, we want all 19 teams to be behind us, the rest of this league season has to be dedicated to keeping ourselves in that second place in the table. This is our reality.

It is clear for everyone to see that this club is in a moment of transition. In the history of football all around the world, all of the biggest clubs have phases of continuous victories and phases of transition, and these cycles go on.

Despite this, last season we managed to win two major trophies, including the only competition this club had never won - the Europa League - and we returned to the Champions League.

This season, we are through to the semi-final of the FA Cup and our aim will, of course, be to try to win it. We are also aiming to qualify for the Champions League again whilst moving forward from last season’s sixth-place finish to secure a second-place finish in the Premier League table.

I think this club is in a good position. We are always looking to the future and in the future, of course, we want to be the top team in the Premier League. That is not realistic this season so, in the meantime, we must do all we can to secure second place, starting with a win today.

Enjoy the game.

Jose Mourinho