When Manchester United‘s director of football Jason Wilcox addressed the club’s players after Ruben Amorim’s dismissal on 5 January and told them the aim was Champions League qualification, he was sending out a message.
After all, internally in their financial planning, and externally in communication with supporters, the stated target from the previous summer had been a return to European competition, most likely through the Europa League.
Wilcox was choosing to reinforce a point that just because Amorim had been sacked and a caretaker boss was being sought, it did not mean the season was being written off.