Rio Ferdinand reckons Jose Mourinho is bringing back the fear factor to Manchester United.
The Special One has splashed the cash to reshape his squad this summer, with Paul Pogba heading the list of big-money signings through the door.
United have made a storming start to the season, beating champions Leicester in the Community Shield before winning both their Premier League games so far, reports the Manchester Evening News.
And former captain Ferdinand believes teams are starting to fear United, just like they did when Alex Ferguson was in charge.
“What it looks like is teams are in the tunnel looking across and saying ‘oh that’s Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], oh that’s [Paul] Pogba’ and that is what it used to be like,” Ferdinand said in an interview with talkSPORT.
“You used to win the games in the tunnel sometimes.
“They still have to prove that, they get it initially but they have to go out and prove it and, including the Community Shield [win over Leicester] they have done that.
“That fear factor will start to grow the longer they go on and win.”
Ferdinand believes the biggest difference is the feeling among the squad.
He believes things had gone stale under Louis Van Gaal, with some players unhappy with his methods and style of management.
But under Mourinho, there’s a positive feeling once again.
“The biggest change for them, other than the players they have bought, is the mentality shift,” Ferdinand, 37, added.
“Under Van Gaal for the last two years there’s been a negative vibe around, not only the football team, but the place.
“I think that’s changed with Mourinho and one of his biggest obstacles would have been to change the mentality of the players, from playing sideways and trying to nick games here and there to being a team that dominates physically, tactically and all over the park.
“It’s a huge shift for them this season.”
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