Manchester United has endured one of their worst seasons of the last half century and can only save something from it by going all the way and winning the Europa League
In a sense, the international break could not have come at a worse moment for Manchester United and their boss Ruben Amorim, so they stopped their recent momentum.
A comfortable 3-0 win in Leicester City extended United's unbeaten run to seven games in all Hun matches this season and continued their calm revival under Amorim, after a gloomy start of his term of office.
But after the victory at the King Power Stadium, instead of involving the two -week break for internationals, Amorim welcomed the break because, as he expressed it, his players were “on the limit”.
“We are going to use this window to rest and restore, it will be good,” Amorim said. “When we return, it will be like you are starting all over again.”
With United Down in 13th place in the Premier League, their Europa League attack will determine the rest of their campaign and whether they can save something from perhaps their worst season of modern times.
They return to action with a trip to the third placed Nottingham Forest on 1 April, followed by the Manchester Derby in Old Trafford five days later. Those two games will show whether Amorim's players can continue where they left for the international break or whether their recent revival was another anomaly in a season of non -repellent unrest, on and next to the field.
After the Derby against City travel to Lyon for the first stage of their Europa League quarter final, a competition that represents their last chance to eliminate a trophy this season and, more importantly, securing Champions League football for the next term.
Amorim may have tried to play the importance of going all the way in the Europa League this season, with the argument that trophies are not the most important because he continues to plot his revision of United.
But Amorim knows the importance of European football in United next season, for financial reasons as much as prestige, especially when they took place against the background of the Parlous position of the club, after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed that it would have gone at Christmas if he had not put a £ 232.5 million of his own money.
Not winning the Europa League and securing a golden ticket for the Champions League would cost United up to £ 100 million in lost income. Champions League qualification is worth around £ 60 million, with an extra £ 20 million in bonuses and prize money if they reach the last 16.
United could earn up to £ 20 million from gate vouchers for European home games, while their kit agreement with Adidas includes a fine clause of £ 10 million for every season that they are not in the Champions League.
That is why, with United from the FA Cup and the walking water in the Premier League, the Europa League has adopted so much importance and will also determine which players they can go this summer, while Amorim continues his rebuilding.
If United can pass Lyon, a semi-final against Rangers-Die waited for them in Old Trafford in January or athletic Bilbao, with a potential definitive confrontation against Premier League-Rivalen Tottenham in Bilbao's San Mames Stadium.
With United too far down in the Premier League table to qualify for Europe, but not low enough to be pulled into a relegation struggle, everything depends on the Europa League. Amorim can claim otherwise, but in private he knows the consequences if he and his players fail.
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