Manchester United made history yet again, becoming the only unbeaten team among the 72 clubs that have competed in both the Champions League and Europa League this season.
Ruben Amorim called it the complete week, one in which Manchester United offered a glimpse of the future with their stadium plans and a little bit of hope for the present as the players showed on the pitch that a European trophy is a possibility this season.
The United head coach saw his team produce one of their best performances of the season in beating Real Sociedad 4-1 at Old Trafford, with big performances from Bruno Fernandes and Patrick Dorgu, while Joshua Zirkzee and Casemiro also impressed.
Dorgu’s display, marauding forward from wing-back, suggested that the first step towards reshaping this squad is positive, while Amorim also stressed that the improvement in others reflects his own greater understanding of how to deploy them.
“I am improving the way I should use a player like Casemiro,” Amorim explained. “I am not trying to put Casemiro pressing really high. I think you can feel that our team is more connected, even in defense. That can help a lot, Casemiro, because he is so smart.”
“It is everything together. The team is better; the players can play better; I understand better the characteristics of the players. So everything combined can help us,” Amorim added.
The importance of that can hardly be overstated, and not just because Champions League football would transform the finances. Continuing on the path to Bilbao means there is momentum in these coming weeks and months. United’s season is alive.