If there is one thing that has alluded Jose Mourinho in his illustrious career, it is building a team with longevity.

While the Portuguese has won league titles in England, Italy and Spain, as well as two Champions Leagues, he is yet to last longer than three seasons with any club.

When he returned for a second spell at Chelsea he talked about leaving a legacy and that he was the ‘Happy One.’ This appeared to be the case as he guided the Blues to a title in the second season.

Still, things soon started to go wrong as Mourinho fell out with his staff and player performances dropped to their lowest level.

Handed a chance by the Red Devils, the 53-year-old will be keen to put his demons to rest and emulate the great Sir Alex Ferguson in building a side to last.

With a core of young players available and a seemingly blank checkbook, that may be within reach.

So, with that in mind, here is the United squad the Tavern expects to see in five years time – with or without Mourinho.

Wow, what a team it would be!

GK – DAVID DE GEA

If David De Gea is still at Old Trafford in five years, we’ll have some very happy United fans at the Tavern.

The Spaniard is currently under contract until 2019, with the option of a further year.

Still only 25, De Gea will be approaching his peak in five years and should have improved even further.

The goalkeeper has come very close to joining Real Madrid in the past but with the Spanish side seemingly cooling their interest, the Red Devils will hope to see De Gea in between the sticks.

RB- TIMOTHY FOSU-MENSAH

Possibly the next United youth player to break into the first team, Timothy Fosu-Mensah has impressed when given the chance in a red shirt.

The Dutchman was handed his debut by countryman Louis van Gaal last year and did enough to be included in Mourinho’s 25-man squad this season.

The 18-year-old is versatile and able to play anywhere across the back, but with Antonio Valencia the oldest of the United backline, we at the Tavern think he is likely to be moulded into United’s new right-back.

CB – CHRIS SMALLING

After initially struggling under Sir Alex Ferguson, Smalling has gone from strength to strength of late.

It says something that the England international is now a key part of the United backline, as opposed to Phil Jones, who signed at the same time.

It seems unlikely Jones will be at United next season, let alone in five years, but a 31-year-old Smalling should have the experience to not only lead the defence, but perhaps become the new club captain.

CB – ERIC BAILLY

Eric Bailly has conducted himself extremely well since his £32m move from Villarreal.

Handed a baptism of fire in his first competitive start against Leicester’s Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, the Ivorian coped well and rarely looked anything but comfortable.

Since then, the 22-year-old has rarely looked phased and if he marries his pace and power with a better understanding of the game, he should only grow in his role next to Smalling.

LB – LUKE SHAW

This season could well be a make-or-break one for Luke Shaw, as he looks to finally cement himself as one of the league’s leading left-backs.

The 21-year-old moved from Southampton in 2014 but struggled to claim a regular first-team spot after struggling with injuries – including a horrific leg-break at the start of last season.

After initially returning and looking strong, Shaw’s performances have deteriorated slightly since.

Hopefully, this is a blip and he will establish himself now he has had some time to rest.

DM – MARCO VERRATTI

When we talk about the best young players in the world, our pub landlord always likes to bring up Marco Verratti.

The Italian would be the perfect man to anchor the midfield at any side for years to come.

The 23-year-old is technically gifted but also forceful in the tackle and would make a midfield general in the mould of Roy Keane.

The only problem would be stealing him away from Paris Saint-Germain, but if the French side don’t start challenging more in Europe, Verratti may look elsewhere.

CM – ANDER HERRERA

Herrera would be the oldest man in the United side, but that should be fine for the role he’d be playing.

The Spaniard will be 32 in five years but should still have the legs to play a deep-lying playmaker role in a three-man midfield.

The diminutive midfielder is great on the ball and able to pick out a pass but also deceptively good at getting around the pitch and stick his foot in – as he has shown this season when he has played in the pivot.

CM – PAUL POGBA

The final man in our three-man midfield is the world-record star, Paul Pogba.

The £89m man has struggled to consistently impress since moving back to United from Italy, but we expect that to change.

We’ve opted for a three-man midfield to get the best our of the Frenchman so he can play in a role more akin to the one he dominated with at Juventus.

Here in the Tavern, we expect him to live up to that and be the main man at Old Trafford for years to come.

RW – INAKI WILLIAMS

The second new face in this squad, Inaki Williams could be set for abig-moneyy move soon.

Currently impressing at Athletic Bilbao, the Spaniard has been linked with Manchester City before now, but we at the Tavern can see him plumping for their rivals.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan seems like more of a quick fix and will be 32 when the 2021/22 season roles around, so we can see Mourinho opting for a younger alternative.

Currently sporting a release clause just over £40m, Williams could be the man to offer pace and width on the right-hand side in a similar manner to Willian at Mourinho’s Chelsea.

LW – ANTHONY MARTIAL

Anthony Martial’s move to United raised more than a few eyebrows when he signed last summer.

The Frenchman moved for around £36m with possible add-ons and became the most expensive teenage footballer in the process.

In his first season he dazzled in spells but went absent in others and it has been a similar story this campaign.

We expect the Frenchman to really express himself over the next couple of seasons however and show why van Gaal forked out so much money for him.

The only question mark is which position Martial will play – while he arrived as a striker, he has played mainly of the left-wing. We expect him to hold this position with the license to roam inside.

ST – MARCUS RASHFORD

Arguably the jewel in United’s crown, Marcus Rashford seems to be the man to lead the future Red Devils from the front.

Despite seemingly being impervious to the ageing process, we’re going to make a bold statement and say Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be United’s starting striker when he is 40.

That may well come back to bite us, but United fans should be assured that Rashford is the real deal.

Quick, smart on the ball and fearless, Rashford is also a great finisher as he has shown by his goal record at every level.

We expect the 18-year-old to deliver on the hype and lead club and country for the next decade, let alone five years.