Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has clearly set his sights on winning the Europa League after he decided to field a weakened side against fierce rivals Arsenal during the weekend – the Gunners have crushed United 2-0, all but ending the Red Devils’ chances of finishing in the top four.
Judging from his squad selection, fielding the greenhorn Alex Tuanzebe to start against a full-strength Arsenal side, has clearly signified he has waved the white flag on the Premier League top four – and who can blame him?
Manchester United’s hierarchy have made one thing clear of their new manager: secure Champions League football by any means necessary. And with the Europa League carrying with it an opportunity to play in Europe’s elite competition next season, it’s no wonder Mourinho decided to go with his gamble.
The former Porto, Real Madrid and Chelsea boss said it himself on Sunday during the post-match interview: “We made eight changes. Of course, we knew we were not coming in our maximum power. That’s a decision. We want to try to win the Europa League – it’s more important than finishing fourth.”
Of course, admitting his gambit can only serve to anger United’s fans, but Mourinho was simply being pragmatic about his decision. The Reds came into the game already four points adrift of the top four, with archnemesis side Manchester City occupying fourth place. City have no other games left to play apart from the Premier League and have a full-strength squad available for selection. The same simply couldn’t be said of United.
As things stand, United are plagued with injuries, with as much as six first-team players afflicted with long-term injuries. The Reds are without their talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and are also without the services of Ashley Young and Marcos Rojo, both of whom have played big roles for Mourinho’s side this season. Surely, with United still competing in the Europa League, sacrifices have to be made.
Needless to say, Mourinho has indeed made that sacrifice. Now he needs his gamble to pay off come Thursday, when they face Celta Vigo for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final match at Old Trafford.
“Thursday [game against Celta Vigo] is the match of the season. I hope Old Trafford feels the same because we need Old Trafford,” the United manager admitted.
While Celta are definitely a beatable side, the Portuguese have placed all his chips on this hand and that is bound to add a ton of pressure on his team. And thus, for his sake, Mourinho will need all the help he can get.