Steve Holland, assistant manager of Manchester United, emphasized that the club’s aspirations extend beyond merely qualifying for the Champions League as the season draws to a close.
Since Michael Carrick took the helm in mid-January, United has surged to third place and is on track to re-enter Europe’s premier club competition after a year’s absence.
“At this club, our focus should be on finishing as close to the top as possible,” Holland remarked on the club’s website. “While I can’t predict how achievable that is, it should always be our challenge: to get as near to the summit as we can.”
“We have been primarily discussing winning our matches with the players, rather than dwelling too much on the standings below us.”
“Nonetheless, under the current circumstances, securing a spot in the Champions League would be a positive outcome for us, but we should always aim for even more.”
The club’s ambitions for the Champions League have been bolstered by Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Sporting in the first leg of their quarter-final, ensuring that the Premier League will have a minimum of five clubs represented in next year’s Champions League through UEFA’s European Performance Spot.
As they head into the weekend, United maintains a seven-point cushion over sixth-placed Chelsea.
This week, United has been engaged in a training camp outside of Dublin, utilizing the 24-day hiatus since their 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on March 20, before facing Leeds at Old Trafford on Monday night.
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The long break between matches stems from the international window as well as United’s early elimination from cup competitions.
“The time gap from our match against Bournemouth to Leeds is a Premier League record,” Holland noted.
“It’s been an unusually lengthy break. We felt it was crucial to gather the entire squad together and focus on finishing the season strongly, and this venue was ideal for that.”