Given the fact that it is now February and Manchester United find themselves out of the top four, there is a real possibility that they might not be good enough to qualify for next year’s Champions League.
In terms of the Adidas deal, this is a problem. In terms of Manchester United’s stature in world football, this is a problem. In terms of the fans’ perspectives, this is a huge problem.
Manchester United are one of the most recognised clubs in the world. According to Deloitte, they are the richest club on the planet after posting a yearly record revenue of £515.3m.
It is a big deal if the Red Devils are not in the Champions League. There was leeway straight after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but four years on from that, it cannot be used as a viable excuse.
The competition for the Premier League’s top places might have increased with the addition of Spurs and Liverpool, but with the money that has been spent, the Red Devils should be performing at a higher level than they currently are.
Jose Mourinho has never been one to take any competition lightly and United fans will be hoping he adopts that same philosophy to the Europa League.
With the rule that the winner of the second-tier European competition is granted Champions League qualification, there is more at stake for teams who are outside the grade domestically. Manchester United are currently one of those teams.
Consecutive three-time winners, Sevilla have been promoted to the Champions League following their win last season and so are not in the competition anymore. This allows a new team to take their crown.
The two favourites for the trophy are the two English teams left in it: Tottenham and Manchester United. With Mauricio Pochettino’s team doing very well in the Premier League, they are more likely to be focused on that. When push comes to shove, like last season, Spurs will sacrifice the Europa League in favour of the money-rich Premier League.
However, at this point in time, Mourinho’s men should not do the same. Instead, they should really go for a cup run in Europe and attempt to win a competition that the club has never previously won. Mourinho has the experience of lifting the Europa League with Chelsea in 2013 and so this is nothing new for him.
It might be known as the second-tier European competition, but it is a trophy that the Red Devils have never celebrated in their history. Why not, with the added incentive of qualifying for the Champions League, really go for it and try to win it?
Mourinho’s team are in real danger of not qualifying yet again for the elite European competition and this seems like a perfect opportunity to take the pressure off and go all the way in the Europa League.
First up is Saint Etienne. The last time these two teams played was in the 1977/78 season where Man United beat the French team over two legs. No game is going to be easy, but with the team that they have, Mourinho should find himself deep in the competition, come the end of the season.
