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As Manchester United lined up on the pitch at Wembley before the Football League Cup final against Southampton, Jose Mourinho looked calm, cool and collected, as though he had been there a hundred times before.
Despite looking to win his first piece of real silverware with United, you couldn’t tell the stakes were so high by his appearance. Similarly, after the final whistle, the Portuguese’s demeanour in his post-match press conference showed a man who looked anything but happy to have just managed his side to a cup triumph.
“This was one of the finals that I don’t like,” Mourinho said in his post-match press conference, explaining that he prefers to go toe-to-toe with fellow giants on such occasions. “This game was tricky. It was a tricky final.
“I was afraid of this one more than the other ones.”
That fear looked tiring for the 54-year-old, who appeared more relieved than anything else to put it behind him and move on.
The Football League Cup can provide a platform for further success
In both spells with Chelsea, Mourinho quite clearly targeted the competition as a foundation upon which further success could be built. In his two stints at Stamford Bridge, the League Cup was the first trophy he won, before going on to add Premier League titles and FA Cups in his first, as well as adding a league triumph in his second.
Speaking after Sunday’s win, the United boss insisted it was not a platform, but that he did want to add to it.
“It was a big relief for me to win a trophy with Manchester United,” Mourinho added after the cup win. “But the reality is we want more. I have two more years here, so hopefully I can win something more. The reality is that we have to fight for more.”
Fighting for trophies is something Mourinho is definitely used to doing, and United supporters are about to become familiar with that feeling again.
Winning breeds winning, and this is a lot of the squad’s first taste of success. Other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, nobody in the current squad at Old Trafford has won consistently in the last couple of years.
Of course, Michael Carrick, Phil Jones and one or two others have the experience of winning, but not in recent seasons, last year’s FA Cup aside.
It’s popular to laugh at Mourinho at the moment, but his ability to put together a winning team cannot be disputed. Now that he has his first trophy under his belt at United, you can expect him to add to that sooner rather than later.
The Europa League opportunity
The most immediate opportunity to add to the Football League Cup title is the Europa League. A lot of the stronger sides have already been eliminated, and with Lyon set to face Roma in the round of 16, another obvious contender will be knocked out imminently.
Rostov will be no walkover for the English side, but Mourinho should be expecting to see his team advance to the quarter-finals. The trip to Russia will likely be difficult, but United should have enough about them to claim a comfortable victory at Old Trafford.
As with the League Cup, it appears the Europa League is being taken seriously by Mourinho this year, despite his previous dismissal of the tournament during his time at Chelsea. The prize of securing a place in next season’s Champions League is an obvious incentive to go all out in search of further silverware in the competition.
Achieving a top four finish is a tough task this year, with five teams essentially battling for the three Champions League spots after Chelsea, so this places an even greater importance on the Red Devils’ Europa League run.
United should be title contenders next season
Whether or not Ibrahimovic decides to extend his stay in Manchester, United should be expecting to challenge for the Premier League title in the next campaign. Even if the Swede remains, the club should be looking to add to their squad.
Carrick cannot play every game, although the Englishman is still vital when he does play, and an alternative option to occupy his role is needed.
Pogba has shown signs of what he can offer. In what has been a tough introductory campaign for the Frenchman, he recently became the first player this year to complete 1,000 passes in the opposition’s half, and, despite his transfer fee, has been quietly impressive in his first season back in England.
Also read: Imperious Ibrahimovic gives false impression of lasting Manchester United progress
If this season was a transitional one, it has gone pretty well so far. They have become one of the most difficult teams in the league to beat, and despite still sitting in sixth place, they have lost just three games all season – fewer than every other team except Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, who have also suffered three defeats each.
With further additions to the squad in the summer, and maybe even another trophy added to the cabinet, Manchester United supporters can and should expect to see their side battling with Chelsea and cross-city rivals Manchester City for the Premier League crown next season.
