Mourinho is doing his best – Ibrahimovic believes United are not good enough

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Jose Mourinho is doing his best with a Manchester United squad that is not up to scratch, while he says even a top-four finish would be a disappointment for him.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward has been United’s star man this season, scoring 27 goals in all competitions, but his side are struggling to secure Champions League football for next season.

Ahead of facing Sunderland on Sunday, Mourinho’s men are seven points behind fourth-placed rivals Manchester City – with two games in hand – but Ibrahimovic has defended his manager’s disappointing first season in charge.

“I think [Mourinho] is doing the absolute maximum with the team he has,” he told the Daily Mail. “Two hundred per cent. If we were good enough to be number one, we would be number one in the table.

“He still has the same winning mentality, because that you don’t lose. When you have it, you have it. It is nothing you learn or can try to be. Either you are, or you are not

“I know him very well. He is direct in his work. He likes to look into your eyes and tell you if you’re s*** or not. I prefer that.

“The guys want more, I want more… and I’ll make sure we get more.”

This man isn’t giving up the fight – and neither will we.