Defeat can be a blessing in disguise for Manchester United
Antonio Conte worked wonders to lead Chelsea to the Premier League title in 2016/17 but the Italian would probably be the first to admit that the process was aided by the club's absence from European competition that season. It allowed them to narrow their focus and throw everything at the League.
No one is suggesting for a moment that United are about to win the title any time soon but if Nottingham Forest can go from 17th to Champions League contention in the space of a season, then so can United.
Mikel Arteta's rebuild at Arsenal gained momentum during the 2021-22 campaign – his second full season – when he had no European football to worry about.
Indeed, United have their own recent experience. Louis van Gaal's first season at Old Trafford played out minus European football. United finished fourth that season with 70 points – nothing to get too excited about but if Amorim's side were to finish in a similar position next term then that would represent significant progress from this year.
Financial advantages to no Champions League
Ah, but what about the £100 million black hole in the finances? There is no doubt Champions League revenues are preferable, the £10 million penalty clause now payable to Adidas for failing to qualify for Europe's premier club competition is a blow and the situation could affect the club's ability to attract certain players.
But it is not all doom and gloom. No European football enables Amorim to run with a leaner squad. Certain players can be moved on and would not necessarily need replacing now. Players will not enjoy the 25 per cent uplift in their salaries that they would have done if the club had returned to the Champions League. And those players United are looking to offload will not be on Champions League salaries, so in theory will be cheaper and more attractive to potential buyers.
Equally, maybe fewer games will equate to fewer injuries, a perennial issue for players who have struggled to deal with the physical and mental demands of three games in eight days and the Thursday-Sunday shift pattern.
Of course, no European football ramps up the pressure on Amorim and his players next season. The manager has admitted as much, claiming his side will need to be 'perfect' or the knives will be out.
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