Realistically, Manchester United’s best chances at qualifying for next season’s Champions League is by winning the Europa League. That doesn’t mean they’re going to slack off during this match with Southampton. Jose Mourinho, 54, will not let his team rest until they’ve secured their spot in the European football competition, so expect the Red Devils to fight like hell when they meet the Saints at St. Mary’s Stadium. It’s almost a clash between Heaven and Hell and the results – aka the exciting action on the pitch – might just be divine.
Speaking of divine intervention and forgiveness, Jose changed his tune about Michael Oliver, the 32-year-old official who oversaw United’s FA Cup quarter-final loss to Chelsea. Michael handed Ander Herrera, 27, a second yellow card, thus eliminating him from the game. Chelsea went on to win the game, and at the time, according to The Independent, Jose blamed Michael for the loss. Yet, Jose seemed “glad” that since they were eliminated, his team’s already busy schedule isn’t even more packed.
“I repeat the same, thank you Michael Oliver, because we were out in the FA Cup,” Jose said, “because if we go to the FA Cup semi-finals it would be a total disaster. I don’t know when we would be playing that game. I never, ever have had a situation like this and on top of that the accumulation of big injuries, not small, not the injuries that you say ‘ok, hamstring, two weeks.’ No. It’s surgery, boom, boom. It’s surgery, one knee, another knee, another foot. Just big surgeries. So fewer players and fewer players and fewer players. It’s very difficult, really very difficult. But we are there and we go to the [Europa League] final.”
As for Southampton, the Saints are tied in points with Bournemouth and West Brom, battling the other teams for a Top 10 finish. While the Saints haven’t ascended to the top of the Premier League table, at least they’re more towards the top. It beats being caught in the limbo that is the middle of the table.
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