Jose Mourinho claims that “other clubs finishing in the top four” would like to trade places with Manchester United as they battle for Europa League glory.
United fell to a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham in the final game at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Mourinho has long since made it clear that the Premier League is not the club’s priority, and they can now now longer finish any higher than fifth in his first season.
The Portuguese has instead banked everything on Europa League glory, which would offer a route into the Champions League.
They face Ajax on May 24, hoping to secure a second trophy after winning the EFL Cup in February.
“It’s difficult but we know what we are doing and I don’t know other clubs, I don’t know the way they think, I don’t know what is important for them,” he said after the Spurs defeat.
“We, Manchester United, for us it is more important to win titles than to finish top four.
“So if we can win a third title, or like you like to say a second title, if we can do that it would be magnificent for us because we know that it’s a big objective.
“We know that if we lose the final we don’t play Champions League. We know that.
“But we fight for titles and probably other clubs finishing in the top four, probably they would like to be in our position to try and fight for the title.”
It’s interesting in that the narrative of United’s season in the media has been one of disappointment and underachievement. Yet United began the season with an opportunity to win four trophies. They have already won the League Cup and are in the final of the Europa League. Is that not success?
