Jose Mourinho appeared to have Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp in his sights as the former Manchester United manager took a swipe at a younger generation of coaches who are lauded for their style of football but seldom win anything.

Pochettino, 46, has won admirers for the way his Tottenham Hotspur side play and is the favourite to succeed Mourinho as United’s next permanent manager, despite never winning a trophy during his 10-year coaching career.

Klopp’s Liverpool are currently top of the Premier League but the 51-year-old German - who is often praised for his attacking football - has yet to win a trophy during his three-and-a-half year spell at Anfield and last tasted leading silverware with Borussia Dortmund, with whom he won two Bundesliga titles and the German Cup in 2011 and 2012.

But Mourinho believes it is the coaches like him, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, who have won trophies over a sustained period, that are the ones who will be remembered as the Portuguese - whose defensive style of play has been criticised - launched a staunch defence of his football.

Mourinho, who was sacked by United a week before Christmas but has won 25 trophies during his management career, told BeIN SPORTS: “One thing is image, another thing is communication, another is a good structure behind and another thing is to win and get good results.