Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has an astonishing record when it comes to his second seasons in charge at his previous clubs.
In fact, the Portuguese has never failed to lift a domestic title during his second season in a job, including both his stints as Chelsea manager. Furthermore, while at Porto and Inter Milan he added the Champions League to that second season success.
This term however, while there was a sense that his maiden campaign at Old Trafford was all about building a winning mentality back into a side which had fallen unimaginably far in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, things could be different.
There is no suggestion that while going on to win those previous second season titles there was little competition, however, there has never been a summer like this one in which all of the top challengers, bar Tottenham, have been spending such eye-watering amounts of money.
With the top six alone having forked out almost half a billion so far this summer, the pressure is on Mourinho to continue his record in the biggest job yet, so much so that it could be having a negative effect.
The Red Devils are currently away in the States for their pre-season tour, and while a lot of talk has surrounded their activity in the transfer market, all the talk of targets for the campaign ahead have reverted back to one thing, the Premier League title.
Of course winning the league will be the aim for Mourinho, however, where he has shown hesitance regarding their chances in the Champions League there is no doubt nothing but the Premier League title will rank as a success for the former Inter Milan boss.
The feeling will be mutual with most of the fan base, but the Special One must not let an obsession with the title and his rivals distract from his proven career-long plan for success.
If there is one thing that Mourinho values higher than most managers, it’s the League Cup. He has won the competition on four occasions and it brought him a first major trophy as Manchester United manager, but it can do far more than just swell a trophy cabinet.
Mourinho knows full well the boost an early Cup win can have on a side, and showed commitment in fielding strong sides across all competitions last term – until the end of the Premier League season that was.
There should be a worry now, though, that in being too focussed on the title this early in the season could have a detrimental effect on their cause. Fielding weaker sides at the wrong time could deal a tough blow to his side and seriously damage their form in the long-run.
With that in mind, Mourinho must retain equal respect and focus for the EFL and FA Cups next term, picking and choosing his games to rotate, in both the League and Cups, carefully – like an accomplished blackjack card player knowing exactly which hands to hit on and which to simply stand – if he is to continue that outstanding record.
Looking at their season ahead, there is no real run of horrible fixture after horrible fixture in the League which would not allow the Portuguese the chance to keep his side fresh to battle on every front next season.
This is not to say that any side outside of the top six should present no threat to United and therefore a second string side will do. However, given the money spent this summer and the depth in the squad at Old Trafford, the manager has all he needs to keep his side ticking for the entirety of the season, with more signings supposedly on the way.
A Premier League title is the end goal, but there are a lot of factors which contribute to winning one along the way and in two of Mourinho’s three title winning seasons at Stamford Bridge, one of those factors was a League Cup win along the way.
While the competition and spending is unprecedented, the United boss cannot let that cloud his well laid plans from seasons gone by and sell his latest club short in the long run.