Manchester United will play a Premier League match before the Europa League final, against Chelsea no less, but nobody is in any doubts as to what the big picture is, including Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim is sure to play a much-rotated team against Chelsea as the Premier League campaign is a complete write-off.
Man Utd have been extremely inconsistent in their performances this season, with a confident outfit in Europe replaced by an uncertain group in the league.
Therefore, there are understandable concerns about United’s prep ahead of the final since a Premier League rival is their opponent.
However, Ruben Amorim has made a strong Europa League claim to put the minds of Man Utd fans at ease.
Photo by Carl Recine - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Photo by Carl Recine – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim’s strong Europa League claim
The game against Lyon still lives fresh in the minds of many at Man Utd because that’s when the feeling took hold that United are destined to win it.
It goes without saying that “destined to win” means nothing if the team doesn’t play well, which they did in the following tie against Athletic.
Now, with a Premier League opponent facing them in Europe, they will have to exorcise their biggest demon this season to get their hands on the trophy.
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Amorim, however, struck a confident tone while speaking to the press ahead of the final, guaranteeing to the fans that the whole environment changes at Old Trafford before a European fixture, regardless of the opponent.
He said: “A final is different. But this season has been really tough on everybody; the results and the changes in the staff. You can feel it. We are addressing that during the season, we are changing the way we play during the season, so the environment is tough.
“But I guarantee you when we are playing a game in the Europa League the environment is different and you can feel the excitement.”
Man Utd need to play the game instead of the occasion
Spurs have already beaten United three times this season under two different managers which is why Amorim’s words are so smart.
He’s trying to get the players to believe and get them over the mental block of facing a Premier League rival in the final.
The “aura” of European excellence around Manchester United is massive compared to Spurs, and that’s the driving force Amorim is seeking to channelise into a great performance.
Having said that, needing to play the game instead of the occasion is extremely important because this United team is prone to losing their heads when things aren’t going their way.
They didn’t against Lyon and engineered a massive comeback but that shouldn’t have been the position they found themselves in in the first place.
With stakes raised even higher, a repeat of that shouldn’t be counted upon in the final which means the margin for error is zero.
Bring on the Spurs.