The Red Devils face a second successive season without Champions League football - with United now fifth, four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City while boasting a game in hand - and despite claiming the first major piece of silverware this season, there remains to be some discontent.
As Mourinho and his players prepare to fly out to Belgium on Wednesday for the first leg against Anderlecht, defender Luke Shaw admits that the competition is more important than finishing in the top-four of the Premier League.
Glimmers of promise have been counterbalanced by frustrating individual and collective displays during Jose Mourinho's first season in the Old Trafford dugout.
Last week, the United manager slammed Luke Shaw's attitude and application and said the left-back was a "long way behind" his team-mates.
"I feel like Benjamin Button - I was born old and I will die young".
Ibrahimovic has scored 28 goals in 43 games for United in all competitions, including a brace in their 3-2 League Cup final win over Southampton. "They left us in a position of "yes or no?' It was 'yes". I just want to keep playing now. There's no hiding the fact we're in a hard position, but we have a home game next and let's see if we can get a win and get some momentum.
With that in mind, Jose Mourinho's men know the Europa League offers a fail-safe in a bid to return to the Champions League next term.
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"I think we have to look at that as the priority now, " Shaw said.
Every team has a couple of them.
"We haven't got time to dwell on it". We've got to focus all week on what their strengths and weaknesses are, but most of all we need to focus on ourselves, what we do and how we play.
"We want to fight in the Premier League until it is mathematically impossible".
United may be hamstrung by injures but it might be something of a blessing in disguise now that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back from suspension and Paul Pogba recovered from injury as it gives Mourinho the chance to pick a settled outfit.
"At 35 years of age that is not easy because I am 35 and, to be fair, I am a bit exhausted of football and I need some times off to rest, but he seems like he is still enjoying playing football and that he feels good on the pitch".
Major League Soccer is another possibility but finding a club in the U.S. and a package that would suit the player and his family could be a problem.
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