Man United On Brink Of Champions League Return

MANCHESTER: A return to the Champions League was widely regarded as the minimum requirement in Erik ten Hag’s first year in charge of Manchester United.

He will secure that if his team can pick up one point from its final two games of the season, both at home, against Chelsea on Thursday and Fulham on Sunday.

Having got to this stage, it would take a remarkable collapse to miss out on a place in the top four now and hand the final Champions League qualifying position to arch-rival Liverpool.

It is a prospect United’s fans dare not contemplate and one Ten Hag is not considering.

“We want to win the game, play dominant football and get the job done,” the Dutch manager said Wednesday.

A return to European soccer’s elite competition is vital in Ten Hag’s mission to restore United to its former glories.

Having been a Champions League mainstay under former manager Alex Ferguson, the club has repeatedly failed to qualify for it since the Scottish great’s retirement 10 years ago.

United finished sixth last season, the fifth time over the past decade it has fallen outside of the top four.

Ten Hag’s first job was to reinstate the 20-times league champions among English soccer’s elite and a place in the top four will be confirmation of that.

Qualification to the Champions League will not only be good for United’s reputation around the world as one of soccer’s most popular clubs, but also bring it much-needed revenue from prize money and commercial deals. In prize money alone, it is estimated it would cost United around $48 million if it missed out again.

For Ten Hag, extra revenue should help to fund his recruitment plans, with a prolific striker his priority.

The ability to offer Champions League soccer to prospective targets should also strengthen United’s hand in transfer negotiations. (AP)