For Manchester United, their reality has now caught them napping and the worst-kept secret is out, which is that the Premier League campaign is a write-off.
Man Utd’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle was the last straw after which Ruben Amorim is likely to even stop pretending that the league fixtures matter very much.
To save the season, the motive is clear – win the Europa League or it’s a bust, and the circumstances are anti-climactic.
That is because to save the season, Amorim will need two rarely-seen stars to make a massive impact. They might well hold the key to it all.
Ruben Amorim needs Man Utd duo
Ruben Amorim faces a bittersweet selection headache in the next few games because the team that brought him to this stage in Europe might not be the one that sees him over the line.
Already, the Newcastle game was a huge blow for United because of Joshua Zirkzee’s injury, who’s now set to miss the Lyon clash.
What he will be thankful for is the return of two barely-seen United stars who could be the talismans of this side in the business end of the season.
Mason Mount has had encouraging cameos already, not starting a game yet but nonetheless looking like the player that Amorim rates so highly.
With Zirkzee’s injury, his first start since his return could come on the biggest stage, against Lyon in the Europa League.
The same goes for Luke Shaw, who played about nine minutes against Newcastle and despite a long absence, his quality on the ball and progressive passing made him a stand out.
In the absence of an experienced, left-footed centre-back, the team struggled. That role is tailor-made for Shaw to make his own.
Mason Mount and Luke Shaw face judgment
Both Mount and Shaw are going to be crucial for United in this run-in but it can be argued that they need United almost as much as, if not more than the club needs them.
Their careers at Old Trafford have never really taken off in the way many because of injury worries and some dysfunction in the structure above them.
Their immediate future will remain at the club but Ineos have shown less tolerance for highly-paid underperformers, which the duo is right now.
With a good and consistent run of form leading up to a potential Europa League victory, they will not only save United’s season but might save their own career at the club as well.
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