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Jose Mourinho has been backed to turn Manchester United into winners again after they became “scared of pressure” following Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit.

Boss Mourinho has been hired to drag the Reds out of the shadow of the Ferguson era after three dismal seasons of struggle under the Scot's successors David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.

They have missed out on the Champions League for the second time in three years – but a string of stellar summer arrivals and a 100% start to the campaign have raised hopes of a revival.

Florent Malouda was one of Mourinho’s final Chelsea signings in his first stint in charge there, before being sacked in September 2007.

(Image: Getty) (Image: Getty) (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

And the French winger, who went on to be part of the Londoners' Champions League-winning squad, reckons they were wrong to sack the Portuguese again last year, insisting he should “never” have been pushed out.

Malouda fears his old side’s loss is Man United’s gain, however.

And he claims the arrival of Mourinho and decorated stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and world-record signing Paul Pogba – champions in France and Italy ­respectively last term – will spark a shift in the mentality missing since the days of Fergie.

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“It is strange to see him managing United,” said the 36-year-old, whose Delhi Dynamos will become the first Indian Super League team to face a Premier League club in Saturday’s friendly against West Brom at the Hawthorns.

“But I always wish Jose the best as he is a very good person. I know he wants to be successful and he is at one of the top clubs, where he always should be.”

Malouda added: “He should never have left a top club like Chelsea, but that is the ­manager’s life.

“United is a big institution, a club designed to win.

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“The transition was difficult after Ferguson, which you can understand. But with Mourinho they have someone with the capacity to bring it back to where they should be.

"When you see the players United have brought in, they are winners.

"With Zlatan, you must respect what he has done in France. When you see what Paul Pogba has done at the age of 23 at Juventus, it is impressive.

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"They will be very dangerous in the Premier League.

“They have top winners from the manager through to the players. People with great character. They are not scared of pressure and maybe that is what was missing.”

Mourinho’s hardline methods rattled many in the Stamford Bridge dressing room last year – culminating in his exit after he failed to arrest the then-champions’ slide down the table.

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But Malouda, capped 80 times by France, said: “He is someone I respect a lot – a top coach and a top man as well. He is someone who tells the truth. Some might not like it, but I like that in a person.

“This season will be very open.

"I think Chelsea also have a chance with Antonio Conte, who is a good coach, too — very competitive and will get the best out of the squad.”