Jose Mourinho has set his Manchester United players the "unrealistic" goal of winning the Premier League title in his first season.
Mourinho won the Champions League against the odds with Portuguese side Porto in 2004, lifting the trophy again with Inter Milan in 2010.
United have not won the Premier League since 2013, and finished fifth last season under the management of Louis van Gaal.
And Mourinho said a United title this season would be a similar feat to one of his unexpected Champions League triumphs.
He told reporters: "Sometimes, during my career, I created some unrealistic targets.
"By creating these [targets], you push the team to unexpected levels. To win the Champions League with Porto or Inter is unexpected and a very risky objective.
"To win championships in the first season is a little bit of the same, but I like that.
"People analyse it as arrogant and so on. That's not a problem for me. The reality is I always feel this kind of difficult target can only help us."
Mourinho won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2004-05 -- his first season in the Premier League -- but when he returned for a second stint in 2013 he had to wait until his second season to do so.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand believes he can make an instant impact at Old Trafford by lifting the title, telling the Manchester Evening News: "If they get a good start, they'll be a hard train to stop."
He added: "United should be aiming to win the league -- simple as that. With the players that we've signed, I'm sure the players in the changing room will be thinking the same.
"Mourinho is not going there thinking that hopefully we'll be back in the Champions League. No chance. His mentality is not like that -- he's a winner. He's going to want trophies."