Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has expressed support for Jose Mourinho’s men by saying that they have it in them to achieve all their goals their season, namely winning the Europa League and brush off competition for the top four position.
United have ‘steadied the ship’ in recent months and are now sitting fifth behind Liverpool with two games in hand, while they face Anderlecht in the quarter-finals of the Europa League next month.
“It has to be one of those ways [getting top four or winning Europa League] but I think, both ways will do it.” Scholes said. “The league is going to be tough, and they have got three crucial away games at Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City.
“If they can come out of them with five, possibly six points, then I think it will be very good and that will set them up for the top four.
“With the Europa League, I think they are rightly favourites. They are by far the biggest club left in it and have probably got the best squad. Lyon could potentially be the team they have to worry about and it is not going to be straightforward, but they have got a great chance of winning the Europa League.”
United are no strangers to triumph in the second tier of European football, winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991 and with the absence of Champions League football this season they will be looking to repeat their past success.
United have undergone a tough last couple of years since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, but Scholes believe Mourinho’s has done a great job to straighten the club out.
“The last couple of years were a little bit tough to watch and I think he has steadied the ship now.
“The league position should probably be a little better that it is really; they have dropped some really silly points, especially at home, but they are creating chances and they look like a United team everybody expects and wants to watch again.”
