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Manchester United go into the game at Arsenal in FA Cup this weekend as underdogs after enduring a difficult campaign so far.
This FA Cup is one of two remaining opportunities for Amorim to taste silverware in his first season in charge at Old Trafford, after United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the quarter final stage at Tottenham Hotspur in December.
However, if United were to be defeated for a second time at the Emirates this season, all hopes of a trophy for the club would rest on the Europa League, which the club last won in 2017 under the management of Jose Mourinho.
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The current situation for United is similar to that of Mourinho’s first season in charge with the club’s previous Portuguese manager prioritising European victory in order to qualify for the Champions League.
Jose’s risk paid off, with United beating Ajax 2-0 in the final in Stockholm qualifying for the next edition of Europe’s premier club competition, following a Premier League campaign in which his side finished sixth in the league table.
Nearly eight years later, the current Portuguese coach at the helm at Old Trafford may have to take a similar to approach to his fellow countryman Mourinho in the approach to second half of this season.
United currently sit 13 points outside of the top four, meaning that, barring a miracle, it is unlikely that Amorim’s side will qualify for the Champions League via the conventional route of finishing within the group of England’s top four teams.
This route that Amorim may choose to take also comes with the enticing prospect of him winning a European trophy after less than a year in the job as head coach.
United have come close to winning the Europa League since their victory in the competition in 2017, with the club reaching the final in 2021 under the leadership of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, United were beaten in Gdansk by Villarreal after a penalty shootout that saw the Spanish side claim the trophy when United ‘keeper David de Gea failed to convert his spot kick.
Amorim’s men are one of the favourites for the trophy but they may face tough competition in the battle to reach the final in Bilbao from clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Galatasaray and current table toppers, Lazio.
The next Europa League fixture sees United take on Rangers at Old Trafford, a match that is expected to create a huge atmosphere in the ground with it being a critical game in quest to avoid the play-off round and qualify directly for the round of 16.