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Why Manchester United need to win the Europa League

By Damian Smith

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 07: Manager of Manchester United, Jose Mourinho looks on during The FA Community Shield match between Leicester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on August 7, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Barrington Coombs - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 07: Manager of Manchester United, Jose Mourinho looks on during The FA Community Shield match between Leicester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on August 7, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Barrington Coombs - The FA/The FA via Getty Images) /
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After suffering a devastating loss in the Manchester derby, Manchester United must now bounce back with a win away to Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa League. Many have said that this trophy should not be a priority for manager Jose Mourinho, here is why I disagree;

The Bubble has burst and the honeymoon is over. Zlatan may have scored again but Manchester United were brought crashing back to earth on Saturday with a 2-1 loss at Old Trafford to local rivals Manchester City.  Now these new look Red Devils must prove their mettle and return to winning ways.

Mourinho will field a “weakened” starting XI

It has been widely reported that Jose Mourinho will use the Europa league as a platform to test some of the fringe players at the club. And certain omissions such as Wayne Rooney and Luke Shaw from his 20 man squad has only served to confirm these reports.

The decision to include a few lesser players to the squad and go on record to assure Marcus Rashford his overdue first start of the season could be hugely beneficial to the team as a whole.

Who could benefit from the opportunity?

Several Manchester United players have apparently failed to impress Jose Mourinho since the Portuguese arrived at the club following Louis Van Gaal’s exit. One player of note is of course Chris Smalling. The England international was one of the most dependable players last season and has failed to make an appearance of note at all so far this year.

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Questions regarding his fitness in the summer have been quashed and it seems Mourinho just flat-out prefers the partnership of Eric Bailly and Daley Blind. Given Daley Blinds awful first half performance during the Manchester derby it seems likely Smalling will finally be handed the chance.

The jury remains deadlocked on young Dutch winger Memphis Depay. But most would say unless something is seen to convince them he has the ability to perform on a regular basis he will soon be surplus to requirements. An away game in his home country against an opposition he is familiar with could be the confidence builder the 22-year-old so desperately needs.

Morgan Schneiderlin is another hotly tipped player who has failed to live up to the hype that welcomed him to Old Trafford. The 26-year-old France international joined United for almost £30 million in 2015. He featured in over 30 games last season but the arrival of his compatriot Paul Pogba has certainly shortened his opportunities thus far this season.

A decent performance against Feyenoord could put him back on Jose Mourinho’s radar and remind the manager that there is another option to Pogba and the dreadful Marouane Fellaini who inexplicably starts every game.

Time for home town hero to cement his place

Marcus Rashford has made himself impossible to ignore again this season. He grabbed a last grasp winner against Hull City, scored a hat trick on his England under 21 debut and once being brought on at half time against Manchester City, and caused no end of trouble for the Citizens defense.

Watching that match on Saturday, Rashford began warming up in the 35th minute just moments after the 2nd City goal had deflated the atmosphere inside Old Trafford. The immediate effect the 18 year olds mere presence gave to the crowd was quite something to behold. The entire crowd felt re energized and I can’t help but feel it clearly impacted the team.

A few minutes later Manchester United had pulled one back and there was hope again. Although after his introduction he was unable to provide another heroic goal. His performance was still superb, running at defenders and providing the spark that the team had lacked during the first half.

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So why do United need to go all the way?

Jose Mourinho has stated that although Manchester United do not wish to be in the Europa League, they must respect it. Although being in it will hurt the sides premier league title hopes.

This statement basically says that Manchester United are too good and too big to be in the Europa league. But for me, if you believe that you are too good for it, doesn’t that mean that you should definitely be the ones winning the trophy?

If Jose Mourinho wants to put his stamp on this team then the Europa League should rank alongside the Premier League as his top priority. If nothing more it will guarantee Champions League football next season and announce to the rest of Europe that Manchester United have returned.

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