Feyenoord vs. Manchester United: Jose Mourinho's Key Pre-Match Presser Quotes

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has admitted his side will not be playing in the competition they want to be in when they take on Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, but the Red Devils will try to win it, nonetheless.

As reported by Marca's Chris Winterburn, Mourinho was brutally honest ahead of his team's first 2016-17 Europa League match, but he highlighted the respect his side has to show for the competition:

He also made it clear the goal is to win the Europa League, per the team's official Twitter account:

Per Simon Peach of the Press Association, he spoke of motivation and how his players will have to find it:

Mourinho's main goal for the Premier League season has to be to guide the Red Devils back to the UEFA Champions League, Europe's top club competition that hosts the best teams from the continent every year.

United have struggled to make consistent appearances among the elite since former manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and last year, Louis van Gaal flopped in the group stage, guiding the team to third place.

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Things got even worse in the Europa League, where the Red Devils ran into an embarrassing 2-1 loss in Denmark against minnows FC Midtjylland. The club turned things around at home, but Mourinho is certain the fans haven't forgotten:

Much was made of Mourinho's decision to leave several big-name players behind in Manchester, including veteran forward Wayne Rooney and full-backs Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw.

The Portuguese manager isn't underestimating Feyenoord, however, and he has mostly brought along top players instead of youngsters:

Rooney's snub in particular caused quite a stir, but Mourinho said he's only resting the 30-year-old, not demoting him:

He also turned his attention to the 2-1 derby loss against Manchester City last weekend, explaining how he likes to play matches soon after a loss, and he took a not-so-subtle dig at the schedule-makers:

Feyenoord have started the Eredivisie season in spectacular fashion, winning their first five matches and scoring 15 goals in the process while conceding just two. The Dutch side are high on momentum, and they'll present the Red Devils with a serious challenge.

United will kick off their Europa League campaign at 6 p.m. BST at De Kuip in Rotterdam.