JOSE Mourinho – the self-proclaimed Special One – plotted the end of Cherries’ unbeaten run on the road before tipping Eddie Howe’s team to enjoy another trouble-free season.

Mourinho presided over a home win against Cherries at the third time of asking after Manchester United triumphed 1-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Romelu Lukaku’s first-half header condemned Cherries to a first away defeat in five games and left them two points clear of the Premier League drop zone.

It was also the first time Mourinho had got the better of Howe on home soil, having managed Chelsea when Cherries stunned them at Stamford Bridge two years ago and also been at the helm for last season’s 1-1 draw at the Theatre of Dreams.

Asked by the Daily Echo whether he felt Cherries could play their way out of trouble, the Portuguese replied: “They didn’t have trouble two seasons ago, they didn’t have trouble last season and I don’t think they are going to have any trouble this season.

“They drew here last season and fought until the last seconds this season.

“The team is very well organised and aggressive in the good sense of the word. They have lots of solutions in attack.

“They have experienced players with some young guys and I think they have everything to have another good season.”

United were thankful to goalkeeper David De Gea for a series of saves, including one when he kept out an effort from Jermain Defoe with his knees late in the second half.

Cherries’ total of seven shots on target compared with United’s two saw them become the first opposition since Liverpool in March 2014 to have more than the hosts in a Premier League game at Old Trafford.

Heading into Sunday’s Vitality Stadium clash with Liverpool, boss Howe told the Daily Echo: “It was a very encouraging performance.

“It isn’t easy to play the way we like to. It is the hardest way. We passed the ball, we were brave and made the pitch as big as we could. We were very expansive and you have to give the boys a lot of credit.

“We limited them to the chances they created and that is a huge thing for us to take forward. If we could replicate this performance in future games, we would win a lot of points.”

Howe made four changes – bringing in Adam Smith, Harry Arter, Dan Gosling and Callum Wilson – and said he would continue with his rotation policy during the hectic festive period.

He added: “We have tried to learn from previous experiences in the Premier League that if we keep rolling out the same team week in, week out, the players will be fatigued, especially with the schedule at this time of year.

“I don’t think you want that when you are facing Manchester United and in the other games we have to come so there will be more rotation in the future. I thought it benefited us and the players who came in did really well.”