Ruben Amorim does not believe winning the Europa League will solve Manchester United’s problems despite victory offering a back-door route into next season’s Champions League.
Amorim’s side travelled to Bilbao on Wednesday for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club, with next month’s final also set to be played at San Mames.
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United progressed to the last four in dramatic style a fortnight ago with a 7-6 aggregate comeback over Lyon in the quarter-finals and are the only unbeaten side left in the competition. Yet domestically, United are guaranteed to finish with their lowest points tally of the Premier League era, sitting 14th in the top-flight table with four games remaining.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Amorim reiterated that winning May’s final in Bilbao “will not save our season” and insisted that the issues behind United’s struggles this season run deeper.
“(Winning a trophy) is not the most important thing. Of course people are going to look in a different way for this season, especially for the coach. Again, it’s something more in the core of our club,” he said.
“We need to change a lot of things and we need to be consistent. Europa League is not going to change anything in our problems — it’s going to give us Champions League next year, more money to spend — but the problems are still there.”
Amorim celebrates United’s dramatic quarter-final win over Lyon (Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Amorim added: “We have to change the minds of our fans with consistency, good decisions, good recruitment, good academy. This is what we need to change to take our club back to the top.
“This is more of a shortcut to go to the European games. Nothing more. The problems, we need to solve in a different way with more time and we’re really clear on that.”
Amorim has made no secret of the advantages of reaching next season’s Champions League, not least in regards to United’s plans in the summer’s transfer market.
Yet the United manager also played down the consequences of failing to qualify, claiming that the club will be “fine” if they do not return to Europe’s elite club competition.
“It could change our summer and change the next years. We have to deal with a lot of things in our club and we will be fine with Champions League or without Champions League.”
Amad and Matthijs de Ligt were both named as part of United’s 26-man travelling squad for the trip to Bilbao having returned to training after their recovery from ankle injuries.
Amorim said that the pair are not considered fit to start at San Mames but confirmed both will be included in the matchday squad.
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United have travelled with a larger squad than usual, including several younger players ineligible to play in the Europa League, as they will train locally in Bilbao on Friday morning ahead of this weekend’s Premier League trip to Brentford.
“To start, no, but they can be on the squad for the game,“ Amorim said on Amad and De Ligt.
“The rest of the players, we have a game tomorrow and then we have to train here Friday so we need to prepare for this game, play this game but also prepare the next game against Brentford. We took a lot of especially young kids to prepare for the next game.”
(Top photo: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
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