Update: ‘Want you to fail’ – Diogo Dalot’s message to Man United critics as he urges teammates to ‘deal with it’ News

Man Utd must win the Europa League to be in Europe next season and they came close to elimination on Thursday before pulling off a miraclous comeback against Lyon.

As Old Trafford swayed and heaved on Thursday night, a mass of euphoria in red on and off the pitch, it felt impossible to imagine this stadium without European nights.

Before the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon there had been a few cheeky suggestions that this could be United’s last European game at Old Trafford. Had they lost the tie, which seemed likely with seven minutes of extra time to go, it would have meant at least next season without continental football.

The miraculous comeback ensured United would reach the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, but this season has come down to a series of Thursday night high-wire acts. It’s Bilbao or bust for United, not just in terms of the semi-final but also in reaching the showpiece at Athletic’s San Mames stadium.

Win that competition and they will secure a route to the Champions League that their dismal Premier League form has shown they don’t warrant, and arguably aren’t ready for. Stumble at any point and Old Trafford will only play host to domestic football next season.

Even if that happens, they are likely to be back on the big stage sooner rather than later, but with the competition in the Premier League and the dire state of the club’s finances, it wouldn’t feel guaranteed.

UEFA bigwigs watching on Thursday will want United to get back into the Champions League. The atmosphere, celebrations and sheer sense of occasion showed this is a stadium and a club that belongs at the top table, but in a meritocracy they have to earn it. That means overcoming the pressure between now and the end of May.

“It is the normal pressure. I think it has to be inside of us,” said Diogo Dalot, one of the goalscorers on Thursday when the game looked to be secure and routine.

“The message before the game was exactly that. This club without European nights doesn’t make any sense. So if we want to have a part of that next season we have to fight because it’s going to be hard. We need to be there.”

The three dramatic extra-time goals that kept that possibility alive will go down in Old Trafford folklore, but it’s worth considering the reaction had United not summoned up one of the great European comebacks.

Having led 2-0, thrown away a lead, and conceded twice in extra-time despite having a man advantage, the post-match inquisition would have been long and painful. Criticism has been plentiful for this group of players this season and a glance at the league table makes it hard to refute, but Dalot is trying to use it as inspiration and his own recent performances suggest it is working.

“When you are playing for such a big club like this, the exposure is so high that you have to be ready to take the criticism and use it as fuel to motivate yourself,” he said.

“That’s what has to help you come to moments like this – when you show everyone that you deserve to play for this club. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions this season but in these sort of moments we need to show up.”

It’s also true that for all of United’s mediocrity this season, they remain one of the biggest stories in England. For every supporter getting swept away on a tide of emotion on Thursday, there would have been ‘neutrals’ at home furious at seeing United rescue themselves.

That is something Dalot has come to understand in his seven years at the club and a mindset he is keen to impart on to some of his new colleagues.

Asked if the criticism will continue to drive the team on, Dalot said: “Hopefully it will, yes. But that will never stop – even if we were competing for cups and competitions, or if we were on a long run of games, there would still be criticism because it’s Man United and people will always want you to fail.

“When you sign for this club you have to be ready to get that type of mentality from people and deal with it.”