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Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United used to arouse fear and hatred and Jose Mourinho has had a similar effect - albeit with the club's staff.

A source at United's Carrington training base said staff members are divided between 'those who fear him and those who simply hate him'. He meant it as a compliment.

At least two players in Mourinho's squad hoped he would not be appointed United manager but the Portuguese has quickly proved he is the big, scary manager United needed to exorcise the big, scary ghost of Ferguson.

Within a month of signing his United contract, Mourinho expressed his frustration at United's transfer inactivity but the revelation merely sparked United into action. Ferguson was seldom so demanding during his eight years working with the Glazer family owners (the exception was when they refused Ferguson the £10m required to sign 17-year-old Mateo Kovačić from Dinamo Zagreb) and Mourinho has swiftly imposed himself as the head of the establishment.

United fans' unofficial motto is 'hated, adored but never ignored' and those verbs apply to Mourinho, too. He arrived at a club reeling from Louis van Gaal's stultifying style, an academy in disarray that was lagging behind neighbours City and an injury record the Toshiba medical machines couldn't predict.

Ferguson lauded Toshiba as a 'big signing' in 2012.

"We made a couple of signings in the summer but this is a big signing," he proclaimed. "This fantastic partnership will put us above most clubs in the world.

"Sometimes maybe the supporters don't see that. But we'll see the benefits and the players will appreciate it. This is fantastic progress."

The state-of-the-art machines indicated Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans would have their 'most available' seasons on the eve of the 2014-15 campaign. Smalling then suffered seven injuries, Jones five and Evans six over the next year.

It is understood Mourinho has been dismissive of those rehabilitation machines Ferguson was an advocate of. His argument is the running machines which lessen joint impacts are counter-productive, since he prefers powerful players. One coach joked the supposed short-term planning indicated Mourinho would continue his three-year cycle at United.

Mourinho is also believed to have dismissed the strength and conditioning training - which Ferguson championed through former instructor Mick Clegg and Tony Strudwick. Strudwick's role changed to 'head of performance' midway through Van Gaal's first season and Gary Walker still participates in first-team training, but there has also been an influx of new coaches. Carlos Lalin, who worked with Mourinho at Real Madrid and Chelsea, is United's new fitness specialist.

Mourinho is believed to have insisted he will get United's players fit through playing football, which tallies with his 'pianist' analogy.

"A great pianist doesn't run around the piano or do push ups with the tops of his fingers," Mourinho said in 2005. "To be great, he plays the piano. He plays all his life and being a footballer is not about running, push-ups or physical work generally. The best way to be a great footballer is to play."

This correspondent was also told the arrival of his coaching staff has created 'discomfort and uncertainty', even though existing staffers were braced for a Mourinho shake-up.

The United manager was joined by loyal assistant Rui Faria, goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro, Emilio Alvarez, Ricardo Formosinho, Lalin and analyst Giovanni Cerra. United players have responded enthusiastically and were pleasantly surprised by the group's jocular behaviour in training. A source said the coaches are 'very funny, big jokers and nothing like the serious guys they make out they are when it's game-time'.

Mourinho's appointment coincided with the overhaul of United's scouting network, sparked by the academy revamp, and it is understood one long-time French scout is being eased out. It has not gone unnoticed France have produced some fine wingers yet United signed Memphis (Anthony Martial was bought as a striker).

Mourinho has not enjoyed so much autonomy in his managerial career and it is thought he enforced a vital tweak to the transfer policy by agreeing on a pot of cash, rather than clearing every transfer with the remote Glazers in Tampa, Florida. It is up to the United manager how the money is spent.

It is understood that was prompted by the refusal to sanction the funds to sign a Brazilian youngster, probably Gabriel Barbosa, in June. United half-heartedly challenged Internazionale to sign the Olympic gold medallist and would not budge when Inter offered Barbosa double United's proposed salary. United could attempt to sign the 20-year-old next year.

The Memphis signing is said to have had an impact, since United were reluctant to pay an extravagant fee for a young and unproven forward (their interest in Barbosa was known before the Rio Olympics). Memphis, omitted from three of United's four August matchday squads, cost £26.3m from PSV Eindhoven and his fee could rise to £31m.

Mourinho made it known before he was pictured with the United shirt in their Mayfair office he wanted at least four signings and he has got them. For the first time in the post-Ferguson era, United were not scrambling to sign a player signed by the manager for his former club, a Jorge Mendes emergency or a raw teenager on deadline day.

Soon, opponents might fear and hate Mourinho's United.