Only Europa League still possible
© Imago
14th place in the Premier League, from the EFL Cup and last Sunday also the end in the FA Cup: For Manchester United, the current season is another low in the downward trend in recent years. The last chance of a title is available in the Europa League, where on Thursday evening the away game in the round of 16 at Real Sociedad is on the program. Coach Rúben Amorim does not build the well -being of the club on the performance in Europe.
“It is not crucial for the future of the club, but I understand that it is a big difference in our season, especially because we have left the cup and are bad in the league,” said the Portuguese (quoted via “Guardian”) at the press conference before the game. There are currently “more important things” than the Europa League title, he emphasized and alluded to the structural problems in the club.
Since the end of the Alex Ferguson era in 2013, ten coaches have attempted the sidelines of United, none of them were sustainable. Twice of the FA Cup (2016, 2024) and EFL-Cup (2017, 2023) and the Europa League (2017) were won during this period. Too little for the demands of the Red Devils, in which the club management has been criticized for years.
A triumph in the Europa League would “change a lot, especially the way they see the trainer,” said Amorim, but in the long term there are other factors. “We have to change a lot of things, and we try that too. There are currently more important things to win than titles is my feeling. But I understand that the profit of the Europa League can change a lot. ”
A new upheaval should also contribute to improvement next summer. In the past three years, United always spent at least 200 million euros for new players, especially the most expensive newcomers such as Jadon Sancho (2021), Antony (2022) or Rasmus Højlund (2023), but mostly disappointed. Nevertheless, Amorim is not worried that big names continue to come and without participating in European business: “Manchester United can call the best players without Champions League.”
In return, English media report this week that Victor Lindelöf (30) will most likely leave the club in summer. The Sweden contract, which only comes in eleven games this season, expires at the end of the season.