#Manchester United, after a successful but less inspiring two-leg victory over Celta Vigo, has booked their place in the Europa League Final. They will travel to Stockholm to play Ajax on May 24th, 2017. Victory will mean that Jose Mourinho in his first season at Old Trafford has brought home 2 trophies. Earlier in the season, Manchester United beat Southampton to win the League Cup. Triumphing over Ajax will also bring back to Manchester United a trophy that has never grace the shelves in their already packed trophy cabinet. Unbelievably, Manchester United have never won the Europa League.
Why not?
Manchester United Champion League
Because the majority of Manchester United fans have been brought up on seasons after seasons of their club dining out with the big boys in the Champions League. Jostling for European supremacy with the likes of #Bayern Munich, #Real Madrid, #Barcelona, #Juventus are still fresh in the memories on the Stretford End faithful. However, success against Ajax is vital for those that want a repeat of the good old days under #Sir Alex Ferguson.
Mourinho has already conceded that they will not get into the #Premier League top 4 this year. Therefore, victory in Stockholm is the only way they can have any chance of qualifying for the #Champions League. They will also be grateful for the financial rewards that will come from re-entry into this lucrative tournament.
Interestingly, they could earn more money from a successful Europa League campaign than they did in 2015 when they failed to get out of the group stages of the Champions League under LVG.
Surely, success in the Europa League Final is a must in the eyes of all Manchester United fans! Non-qualification for the Champions League for the second year running would be unthinkable.
That would mark the end of a bad season, an unsuccessful one. Correct?
That's not how Manchester United's Manager see it.
Mourinho: Successful season even without Europa League
Jose Mourinho was asked by the media if the outcome of the Europa League final would determine a successful or unsuccessful season, he responded that they, the media "have the right to say it, and it makes sense to say it, but I don't feel like that."
He continued "I probably work, this season, harder than ever.
When I analyse, I don't think [loosing the final would be a failure}, but if I was in your chair, maybe."
We have all come to know and understand that in most press conferences, Jose's answers to questions are coded. Maybe, he is sending messages to the club owners and directors that he needs to spend big in the summer transfer market. Possibly, he is taking pressure off his players who in Mourinho's opinion are tired and in need of rest.
Mourinho did rightly point out, "We won a League Cup. We won a Community Shield. Until the injuries arrived, we fought for the Premier League top four. We had a fantastic record of 25 matches [unbeaten]"
Manchester United's future success
True, whatever happens in Stockholm on May 24th, #Manchester United fans will be buoyed that the rebuilding of the club back to the echelons they had become accustomed too is heading in the right direction.
Yet, they also know that the close season business dealings are crucial if they are to get a good start when it all starts again.
With so many rumours over top players in the club like Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney, David de Gea and the likes; then surely qualification into the Champions League is a must. How without Champions League football guaranteed will Jose be able to tempt the likes of Gareth Bale, Romelu Lukaku or Antoine Griezmann?
Manchester United fans will be crossing fingers, wishing and praying that they will be crowned not as Champions of Europe, but Europa League Champions. Anything less, and true success will be that little further away.
