Jose Mourinho believes the problems which blighted his reign at Manchester United are still evident at the club, claiming the underlying issues are not limited only to the players.

Mourinho was axed as United boss back in December following a dismal run of results and a public falling-out with record-signing Paul Pogba on the training ground.

But when asked whether Pogba was the biggest problem at Old Trafford, Mourinho offered a definitive analysis about the deep-rooted issues which are hindering United's progress.

Jose Mourinho has given a critical analysis of the deep-rooted problems at Man United

Mourinho claimed record signing Paul Pogba should not be solely responsible for the failings

Mourinho publicly fell out with Pogba after the midfielder criticised the team's tactics

'The problems are there, you can say that these are the players, the organisation, the ambition, I only say that I cannot say yes when you ask if Paul was the only one responsible,' Mourinho told L'Equipe.

Following his acrimonious exit, United enjoyed an incredible upturn in results, but their new-manager bounce soon subsided and they finished the season in dreadful form.

Mourinho, following his sacking, said finishing second in the Premier League might have been his greatest achievement in management.

It is a statement, he believes, has now been proven correct following the conclusion of this season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side finished the season in awful form, losing to Cardiff on the last day

'I said nine or 10 months ago that after winning eight championships, finishing second with United may have been my greatest achievement,' he added. 'Now people understand.

'I do not always do my analysis publicly on Manchester United. I do not want to talk about it and I have the feeling that I do not need to speak, that time gives explanations.

'About United I want to say only two things: One is that time has spoken. Two is that the problems are still there.'

Mourinho also took a thinly veiled swipe at his successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: 'Generally, the players can feel a certain erosion, especially when you ask a lot of them.

Mourinho was sacked by United in December after a disappointing start to the season

'When I say that the second season was fantastic, I say it because the potential and the objectives were met.

'I really squeezed, like an orange, to achieve them. When you have a very professional group of players who are ambitious, hard-working and talented, at a structured club, you don't have that erosion.

'When you are almost alone, in that you don't have the support of the club close to you, while certain players go somewhat against the coach, who is the nice guy.

'I don't want to be the nice guy, because the nice guy, after three months, is a puppet and that doesn't end well.'

Mourinho was sacked in December after a disappointing start to the season saw United fall way behind their top-four rivals.

The Portuguese insists finishing second with United in 2018 was his best-ever achievement

After a 3-1 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield, United were sixth in the table and 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

His final six months were undermined by squabbles with the board over transfers, with Mourinho denied the funds for the centre back he craved.

And there was the public fallout with Pogba, who was stripped of captaincy duties after criticising the team's tactics.

In two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford Mourinho lifted the League Cup and the Europa League in 2017.