MANCHESTER -- Jose Mourinho has told Manchester United supporters they should not mistake his decision to live in a hotel as a lack of commitment and insists he only does it because he is "lazy."
Mourinho has stayed in the Lowry Hotel in the city centre since his appointment as manager in 2016.
It is in contrast to his predecessor, Louis van Gaal, who bought a house in nearby Cheshire even before he officially started in the role in 2014.
But Mourinho, whose wife, Matilde, still lives in London, insists there is a simple explanation behind his decision not to put down roots in Manchester.
He said: "I am very lazy and because I like to arrive in the hotel, I don't want anyone to be worried because I live in a two square metres room, I am living in an apartment inside of a hotel where I have all the comfort, the support, where I have everything I want, like I am living in a house.
"So if they are worried about me being comfortable, happy and supported, I really am. That's the way I feel very comfortable.
"If they want me in some house that I don't like, in some place I don't like, lonely from my assistants, if they want that, I would be a sad guy and a sad guy doesn't work well."
It comes after speculation Mourinho could quit as United manager in the summer -- reports the Portuguese coach dismissed as "garbage news" at his news conference on Thursday.
The 54-year-old insists he is happy at Old Trafford and says he is willing stay beyond his initial three-year deal. However, he admitted part of his job at the club is to lay foundations for whoever might come next.
He added: "It's also part of my job to create conditions, and if a manager leaves the club one day even without big success but creates conditions for the next one to come in and have success, that's also a very important part of the job.
"So when I'm working in this club, I'm working not just for myself but the future of the club."
United face Derby County at Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday as Mourinho looks to add another trophy to the two he won last season. He has promised to pick a "strong" team, despite the fixture coming on the back of a run of four games in 10 days.
With United 15 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, the FA Cup and the Champions League represent their best chance of silverware. Mourinho accepts the title is now much harder to win that it was when he first arrived in England with Chelsea in 2004, but he insists he is up for the challenge.
He said: "I think the period in England is a really special period.
"You look to the championship now and you look 10 or 20 years ago is a completely different profile.
"We used to have two forces maximum, a third one, in this moment you have even clubs not fighting for the title or the top four where their spending spree is amazing, even higher than ours.
"So everything changed and the nature of every job changed, too. But I just say my dedication is total and I'm here to stay until the club wants me to stay."