It wasn’t supposed to be like this. After claiming the EFL Cup over Southampton at the end of February, Manchester United fans genuinely believed that every week until the cusp of June would be chocker full of gripping, exhausting encounters as Jose Mourinho and his beleaguered posse gallantly fought on their final three fronts for the FA Cup, a top four finish, and Europa League glory.

But now, the FA Cup has long gone, we’ve declared in the league with three games remaining, and we’re expectantly, rather than excitedly, waiting for the Europa League final to come around on May 24 so that we can figure out whether Jose Mourinho’s first season has been a success or a failure. It just doesn’t feel right.

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The fact that the season is on such a knife edge and can be decided upon such fine margins suggests that we already have our answer, too. The EFL Cup victory was a healthy sign of intent and proof that Jose Mourinho can seemingly find his way to a trophy in any circumstances, but it also marked the point where Manchester United truly stagnated.

They’ve been able to hide behind their lifeless unbeaten run, but in reality, barring the victory over Chelsea in the middle of April, United have been lacklustre for nearly two months and a half months now.

After securing a trophy, and realising that the route into the Champions League would be easier to secure by dragging their way through the Europa League, they’ve become the equivalent of the smart kid that does the bare minimum to succeed.

Gritting

This is much more Mourinho’s fault than his squad’s though, as his constant complaints and declarations of tiredness have clearly seeped into their play, and rather than gritting their teeth and valiantly fighting on until the bitter end, we’ve instead been hearing premature excuses for months.

Mourinho has moved Manchester United forward, their play before the Southampton game was proof of that, and they’ve genuinely been unlucky in half a dozen of their home draws. But while Jose’s still the man to make them progress, ultimately, their league form this season just hasn’t been good enough, especially in recent weeks when the top four has been there for the taking, but United haven’t had the strength to make it their own.

Mourinho’s increasingly erratic outbursts are diverting and hiding his own frustrations, too, and now United are all crammed into the Europa League basket anxiously waiting to seal their own fate and to compensate for their domestic form. They’ll almost certainly get to the final, where their likely opponents Ajax will be tougher than most are expecting. But they have no more excuses left, and they simply have to win.

The thought of another season of the Europa League is gut-wrenching, and United need to be in the Champion League next season. They might not do anything once they’re there, but they just need to be present, and tease progress. Mourinho knows that, too. And that drive for ambition and success, which the EFL Cup win underlined, is why fans have been willing to turn a blind eye to United’s recent failings.

They fully believe that by hook or by crook by the season’s end he’s still going to have returned United to the Champions League and won two trophies in the process, even though they’ve been mostly underwhelming. That’s a return they can live with. Especially considering it’s his first season. Just imagine what he’ll be able to do once he’s got the squad he wants and finally has a good mood.