Ruben Amorim’s team talk in San Sebastian should consist of 27 words: Do you want to be part of a Manchester United side that won a European trophy or part of the worst Manchester United side in 51 years?
The chances are this United squad does not have the wherewithal to salvage their season. They are unbeaten in eight Europa League matches, have lost only one of their past six matches in Spain and won in Real Sociedad’s back yard two seasons ago.
Yet this is a squad that is marooned in the bottom half of the Premier League, has not won successive league fixtures all season, and is teeming with players who jar with Amorim’s 3-4-3 system and the club’s ethos.
One player has privately admitted United are a “tough watch”. Another player is so fixated on generating risible propaganda through obsequious punters that his performances are getting worse.
The overzealous celebrations against Ipswich Town - Ipswich Town - were additional evidence of how far removed this United squad is from one befitting the club. Diogo Dalot and Casemiro chest-bumped after winning a throw-in, Manuel Ugarte celebrated a throw-in and Bruno Fernandes yelled ‘Vamos!’ with the ball in Ipswich’s third in added time.
United returned to normality against Fulham - a top-half team - four days later. A friend in the Putney End for the win at Fulham in January was perplexed by how jubilant Dalot and Harry Maguire were in front of the away support at full-time. Fulham were not going to suffer the ignominy of three defeats to this United. Only Leicester are that bad.
This season was shaping up to be Europa League-or-bust three months ago. Some regulars in the directors’ box felt United could literally go bust without more drastic cost-cutting measures. A
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