Manchester United are about to find out how they really compare to Champions League rivals

Manchester United supporters might well be savouring a rare weekend in which the football can't get in the way of their plans. The defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night was the latest reminder of how poor the season has been, and confirmation of another trophyless campaign means there is no way of twisting it into one of any success.

The only thing left to play for is a potential top-four finish, and even achieving that would be meagre consolation in a season where the target was a genuine Premier League title challenge.

A further blow is the fact United aren't in action this weekend. The FA Cup quarter-finals will take centre stage and the three genuine elite sides managed by elite coaches in English football - Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea - are all still involved.

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Had it not been for dismal finishing against Middlesbrough back in February then United might still well be in the cup competition, though there is no guarantee they would have enjoyed any success in the last-16 tie either.

Instead, supporters will be able to enjoy the rare Manchester sunshine without the prospect of United ruining the day, on a weekend in which the trio of elite clubs could all book a trip to Wembley next month and a day after all three of them confirmed their quarter-final opponents in the Champions League.

It is another reminder of how far behind the leading pack United are, with their target now to be the best of the rest rather than a credible challenger to the dominance of City and Liverpool in recent years.

A top-four finish can not be celebrated in any way by the club, even if it guarantees Champions League riches this summer, though there will certainly be some