Jose Mourinho has been an instant success at Manchester United, leading the Red Devils to a Community Shield triumph against Leicester City before a return trip to Wembley for the EFL Cup final against Southampton – and United were victorious on that day as well. Whilst neither competition was a priority at the beginning of the campaign, it is good to see United lifting silverware after a fairly stale run since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Back in August, Reds fans were hoping for a dramatic title triumph but those dreams were quashed early on as Chelsea ran riot. Now, the Europa League may be United’s chance of securing qualification for next season’s Champions League competition. The 20-time top flight champions are just four points behind Liverpool with two games in hand but the battle in the Premier League is very intense.
The Europa League has presented itself as a viable solution if United fail to finish in the top four. With the ultimate prize of competing in next year’s elite club competition on offer, the secondary tournament is now much more lucrative than it once was. With Roma, Borussia Monchengladbach and Tottenham Hotspur out, the Red Devils could win the competition, formerly known as the UEFA Cup, for the very first time.
If you, like many others, fancy United to go on and lift the Europa League trophy this year, why not get involved with Bookmaker Ratings’ Tipster competition? After all, there are only eight sides remaining in this year’s competition and one of them has to win. If Mourinho is serious about going all out for the Europa League, United look well placed to back – it would take a brave man to go against them considering their strength in depth.
With Zlatan Ibrahimović benefiting from a three-game rest, United could be set for plenty of success in the coming months. The iconic Swede has been a revelation at Old Trafford this year, scoring a hatful of crucial goals in multiple competitions. He came to United to win, not to fall short and his presence in the dressing room and on the training pitch may help to give the entire squad a boost ahead of the business end of the season.
Anderlecht in the next round won’t be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination but United will be quietly confident of reaching the semi-finals. Since October, United have lost just twice in all competitions – an excellent run to say the least. With Mourinho at the helm, the Reds are heading in the right direction and perhaps only Lyon can challenge their dominance in this year’s Europa League competition.
A top four finish in the Premier League would also go down nicely with the fans, particularly if the Red Devils sit above Liverpool in the final standings. However, it is time to prioritise the Europa League. In order to stand the best chance of competing in Europe’s elite club competition next season, United must win the Europa League – and they certainly stand a very good chance of doing just that at this rate.