Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United have just not been the same club. They have finished outside the Premier League top four in three of the last four seasons, and they haven’t really been in league title contention. They even suffered a trophy drought, not acquiring any between the 2012-13 league title and the 2015-16 FA Cup.
Nevertheless, United attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan believes his side should aim high, and the ambitions for UEFA Champions League this upcoming season should be nothing short of winning the whole tournament.
“The Champions League is where Manchester United belongs and we are all happy to be playing in this great competition again. For the new season we definitely want to fight for the title,” Mkhitaryan said during a United fan Q&A on his Facebook page.
“For the Super Cup, it should be a fantastic game against Real Madrid.” (transcript Daily Mail)
Mkhitaryan scored against Ajax in the Europa League Final at Stockholm’s Friends Arena helping his side his lift the trophy, and earn a place in Champions League next season. It was the first Europa League trophy in club history and it complemented the Community Shield and the EFL Cup trophies won earlier in 2016-17.
Perhaps winning these honors are a sign of things to come at Old Trafford, as momentum at the club is now trending positive, instead of negative.
United went sans trophy under David Moyes and won just the aforementioned one under Louis van Gaal. However, Jose Mourinho became the first manager to win one in his first season on the job and he earned three in his debut campaign.
Perhaps Mkhitaryan is right about things now trending upward as he further reflected on the season just recently completed?
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes to WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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