Jose Mourinho has claimed he always felt that Manchester United were fighting for second place in their Champions League group behind the Juventus side that beat them 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday, as he lauded the Serie A champions for their ambition in what seemed another loaded comment about his own club’s perceived lack of ambition as well as an example of expectation management.

The Portuguese pointedly went on about how Juve are “not happy with what they have” and “want more”, “want the best players in the world”, and have “a big desire to have a big future”. When asked how far off Juventus’ level United are, Mourinho said “a bit”, before pointedly mentioning Manchester City and saying the only way you get there is investment.

Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Show all 22 1 /22 Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus David De Gea - 7 Made a handful of typically aesthetic saves and did very little wrong. Without him, as seems to be the case regularly this season, United might have been beaten by a bigger margin. Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Ashley Young - 6 Bombed down the right flank regularly during the second half, but couldn’t quite find the quality to create for his teammates. Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Chris Smalling - 5 Looked shaky at the back throughout and clearly struggled to deal with the elusive movement of Paulo Dybala. AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Victor Lindelof - 7 Made more than one crucial intervention at the back when Juventus looked set to add to their tally. Demonstrated his positional sense and intelligence. Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Luke Shaw - 6 Worked hard and made some key tackles. But he was occasionally found straying out of position. Cancelo, in particular, gave him a difficult time. Man Utd via Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Nemanja Matic - 5 Marshalled in front of the backline and attempted to keep things moving on the ball. Like his teammates, though, he lacked inventiveness. AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Juan Mata - 5 Cut a frustrated figure throughout. Tried to make things happen in the final third but did not see enough of the ball and wasn’t helped by a lack of movement around him. Man Utd via Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Paul Pogba - 6 Improved after the break following a fairly anonymous first half. Looked to create and was unfortunate with a shot that struck the post. Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Marcus Rashford - 6 Was United’s most lively player in the first half but faded as the game went on. He was well marshalled by Juventus’ experienced defenders. Man Utd via Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Anthony Martial - 6 Disappointingly, particularly after his recent Premier League performances, did not make an impact against Juventus. Had a couple of opportunities early in the second half but was largely a passenger. Man Utd via Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Romelu Lukaku - 5 For large parts of the game appeared uninterested, before finally coming to life late in the second half. Needs to improve in future games of this magnitude. Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Wojciech Szczęsny - 6 Juventus' Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny gestures during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Napoli on September 29, 2018 at the Juventus stadium in Turin. (Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Joao Cancelo - 6 Manchester United's Swedish defender Victor Lindelof (L) vies with Juventus' Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo during the Champions League group H football match between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 23, 2018. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Leonardo Bonucci - 7 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Anthony Martial of Manchester United is tackled by Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford on October 23, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Giorgio Chiellini - 7 Manchester United's Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku (L) vies with Juventus' Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini (R) during the Champions League group H football match between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 23, 2018. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Alex Sandro - 6 Juventus' Brazilian defender Alex Sandro (R) vies with Manchester United's English striker Marcus Rashford (L) during the Champions League group H football match between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 23, 2018. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Juan Cuadrado - 6 Juventus' Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado eyes the ball during the Italian Serie A football match Parma vs Juventus on September 1, 2018 at Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Rodrigo Bentancur - 6 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Paul Pogba of Manchester United in action with Rodrigo Bentancur of Juventus during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford on October 23, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images) Man Utd via Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Miralem Pjanic - 6 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Paul Pogba of Manchester United in action with Miralem Pjanic of Juventus during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford on October 23, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tom Purslow/Man Utd via Getty Images) Man Utd via Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Blaise Matuidi - 6 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Ashley Young of Manchester United battles for possession with Blaise Matuidi of Juventus during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford on October 23, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo - 7 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus reacts during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford on October 23, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) Getty Images Player ratings: Manchester United vs Juventus Paulo Dybala - 8 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Paulo Dybala of Juventus celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Juventus at Old Trafford on October 23, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) Getty Images

The comments come after a summer when there was disagreement between the manager and the United hierarchy about signings, with Mourinho unhappy about the lack of investment – especially in centre-halves. He conspicuously praised Giorgio Chiellini and Leo Bonucci as capable of giving classes in “Harvard” about defending, and praised Juve’s ambition in signing the latter back from AC Milan.

“Like [after] the draw, we knew it would be a fight with Valencia for second position,” Mourinho said after what was a chastening 1-0 defeat to Juventus that could have been worse. He was also asked how far United are off that level.

“A bit, a bit far,” Mourinho said. “Juventus is champions for seven years in a row, two Champions League finals in four or five years and not happy with what they have, they want more. They had [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Mario] Mandzukic, [Paolo] Dybala, they want more, they want [Cristiano] Ronaldo

Chris Smalling cut a dejected figure at the full-time whistle (Getty)

“They had [Andrea] Barzagli, Chiellini, they are not happy. They want more. They go for Bonucci. They want the best players in the world. Big club, but with a big desire to have a big future. They put everything to win there, I don’t say to win the Champions League, I say to win the treble.

“Because they always win in Italy.”

Following on from his lifting of three fingers to respond to Juve fan jibes during the game, Mourinho then made a reference to when he achieved the feat with their rivals Internazionale in 2010.

“But the treble until now is our treble, not their treble – yet,” Mourinho said. “But I think they are really close to it.”

When it was put to Mourinho how he gets to that level, he responded: “To go to the Juventus level? Barcelona? Real Madrid? How can you reach that level? Manchester City level?”

Bonucci was one half of an indestructible Italian defence (Getty)

He was then asked whether it would just take “investment”, and said “yes” before talking of how United have further troubles in the market because the best players will go to these “top teams”.

“It’s not also easy. It’s not also easy, because many of the players they will go these top teams, so we work with what we have, we try to improve what we have.

“So the same way I say amazing Chiellini, amazing Bonucci, I have to say Chris [Smalling] and Victor [Lindelof] have a positive game. Chris, first time he plays a game of this dimension, Victor positive. Good experience for some of the boys.

“Quality is quality. Quality in football is everywhere. Chiellini, Bonucci so good to see. But again my repeat, so happy with what we did.