In a difficult situation in the championship, Manchester United presented a disappointing game during his recent confrontation with Newcastle, accentuating his distance from any prospect of European qualification in the Premier League. Manager Ruben Amorim showed indifference to critics, claiming to focus exclusively on the reception of Olympique Lyonnais, a crucial meeting next Thursday. Despite the last-minute draw against OL in the all-round game, the English club was hoping to regain positive momentum, but the severe 4-1 defeat against Newcastle pushed the Red Devils further, relegating them to 14th place in the standings.

Beyond the sporting result, the performance at St James Park has attracted strong criticism, revealing a lack of control and cohesion within the team. Despite this turmoil, Ruben Amorim seems determined to ignore the critics, focusing more on the upcoming meeting against OL. The Portuguese tactician has chosen to make a significant rotation of his team, aligning six players different from those who participated in the match to go against OL, thus stressing the importance he attaches to this deadline. He stressed the need to avoid the mistakes made against Newcastle, finding them unacceptable in Thursday’s game.

Aware of the meagre opportunities ahead, Manchester United sees the Europa League competition as its main hope of returning to the Champions League. The elimination of Olympique Lyonnais and the final victory on 21 May in Bilbao are now the driving force of the season. The manager, although aware of the difficulty of the task, shows unwavering determination to try to save this campaign, affirming that the victory in the Europa League offers a real possibility of returning to European competitions. Olympique Lyonnais is warned: Manchester United’s fate will be played in the next few minutes of Thursday’s game.