Ruben Amorim said it himself, he isn't naive. He won't need telling just how important the Europa League is to salvaging this most disastrous of seasons.
The cup competitions were all Manchester United had left to save a season where they have plunged to depths few could have imagined when riding the highs of the Sir Alex Ferguson glory years.
United are a far cry from those lofty heights now, true, but two cup games in five days represented a shot at salvation.