Jose Mourinho has insisted Manchester United’s season will not be judged by the result of Saturday’s FA Cup final against his former club Chelsea.
United finished second in the Premier League, a distant 19 points behind runaway champions Manchester City, but they have the chance to round off their campaign by lifting some silverware at Wembley on Saturday.
However, Mourinho said: “People can do what they want, you can analyse the way you want to analyse. I can also analyse the way I want to analyse.
“Of course it makes a difference, but it’s one thing to make a difference and the other is to consider the season good or bad because of one match.
“I analyse the work I do, the effort I put in, and everything we all did at the club. That includes the most important persons at the club; the players.
“I’m not going to analyse them because of one – of course very important – match.
“I know the positive things and the negative things so I am not going to change my analysis of the season because of the result of one match. Not at all.”
Some pundits have expressed fears the showpiece could be a dull, cagey affair, especially given some of United’s less-than-cavalier performances this season.
But Mourinho countered: “I don’t understand these words of entertaining. Do you think 6-0 is entertaining? I don’t think so.
“I think entertaining is emotional until the end, an open result until the end, everybody on their seats until the end, both dug-outs nervous and tense with the unpredictability of the result.
“For me as a football lover, not as a manager, that’s entertaining. I think it will be entertaining.”
Winger Anthony Martial has been passed fit after overcoming a knee injury, but striker Romelu Lukaku faces a late fitness test.
Mourinho also confirmed there would be no Wembley farewell for long-serving midfielder Michael Carrick, who retires at the end of the season.