Wayne Rooney is expecting Manchester United to challenge for the Premier League title again under new manager Jose Mourinho in 2016-17.

He has revealed that the Red Devils players feel “more like the old Manchester United” under the Portuguese boss, with Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all having been added to the squad in big-money deals.

Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, England’s most successful club have been in decline, barely able to compete for a top-four spot under managers David Moyes and Louis van Gaal—indeed, they will not be in the UEFA Champions League next season after a fifth-placed finish in 2015-16.

But, according to Rooney, there is renewed optimism following the appointment of the perennially successful Mourinho that United can compete for the title again, per Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail:

I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It’s not just the new signings, we’ve got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact.

We’re in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League, and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester [City].

I know it’s a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on—we feel that’s an important event for us.

United’s Community Shield clash with Premier League champions Leicester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday will be Mourinho’s first competitive match in charge at United.

He has overseen a number of pre-season friendlies since his appointment, but the meeting with the Foxes will be his first clash of any real importance and, as Rooney noted, an opportunity to win some early silverware.

It will also provide an indication as to how Mourinho will set his team out in the upcoming Premier League campaign, as analysed by Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe:

With the transfer window open until the end of August, though, the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss could yet add further stars to his squad after the Community Shield.

The headline saga of the summer transfer window has been United’s pursuit of Juventus‘ Paul Pogba, 23, and the Manchester outfit look to be edging ever closer to re-signing the midfielder, who left Old Trafford in 2012, per Sky Sports News HQ’s Andy Burton.

For Rooney, it would be a huge statement from United if they were able to snag Pogba—who the 30-year-old remembers as a tough competitor in training—with the Frenchman widely regarded as the best young player on the planet, per Samuel:

He was one of those players who, when you trained against him, somehow he would just hurt you. A knee in your side, bump into you, I don’t think he meant to do it, but it just happened.

You didn’t even need to get into a tackle. Just go next to him and you’d find an elbow or some other sharp bit. So, if he comes, I’m looking forward to that again.

But he had great ability, some of the things he could do, and he’s gone up a level since he left us.

I hope he is going to want to return to United and prove he’s a top-class player. If he is excited to play for us, we’ll be excited to have him back. 

I’m sure he’ll feel there is unfinished business, and it would be a very big statement by the club if they can make it happen.

Pogba would add significant strength to United’s central midfield, where Morgan Schneiderlin and an ageing Michael Carrick are currently the only reliable options.

He would also be the last of the four “priority” signings Mourinho outlined in his first press conference as United boss, and his arrival as the last piece of the puzzle would allow United to “breathe” and “be stable,” per Sky Sports’ James Kilpatrick.

Certainly, with Pogba’s arrival, United would have the makings of a superb starting XI, with the Frenchman joining the likes of Rooney, Ibrahimovic and goalkeeper David De Gea in the side’s spine.

The Manchester outfit still look short in the back line as they lack a top-class right-back and an experienced centre-back.

But, as Rooney said, they once more look capable of making a tilt at the title, with world-class players and a world-class manager.  

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