Update: Roy Keane rolls eyes as Ian Wright suggests ‘fans will be happy’ at Man United with one thing News

Ian Wright has suggested that Manchester United fans will forget about the Premier League position of their club so long as Ruben Amorim leads the team to Europa League glory

Roy Keane was stunned by Ian Wright’s suggestion that Manchester United fans will be happy with this season if it ends with a Europa League final win.

United have endured a largely miserable campaign so far, dropping down as far as 14th in the Premier League table with all too often sub-par performances – but they are still in the running for a European trophy under Ruben Amorim.

Currently, the Red Devils sit 13th in the league with more losses than wins this season – 10 triumphs, eight draws and 13 defeats – and much has been said about their domestic form.

In cup competitions, they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage by Tottenham Hotspur, and Fulham put United out of the FA Cup in the fifth round on penalties.

However, fans still have something to hope for, according to Arsenal legend Wright, as they gear up for the first leg of their quarter-final match-up against Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday evening. Amorim’s side have got the historic advantage behind them going into the game, as Lyon have never beaten United in European competition – but the question is, would going all the way and lifting the trophy be enough to quell the dissatisfaction of some fans?

Wright seems to think so, giving his views on the matter on the Stick to Football podcast alongside ex-United stars Keane and Gary Neville, as well as women’s football icon Jill Scott.

Scott began the conversation by discussing United’s current league position as she noted that the club finished eighth in the table when they secured the FA Cup against rivals Manchester City last season. She said: “See, so you can kind of go ‘it’s all right’, but I do think that 13th, 14th is terrible.”

Keane and Neville were in agreement, but Wright wasn’t convinced. “It’s not terrible if you’ve got a trophy. I would take that at Arsenal,” he claimed.

This prompted some stunned responses from the table, as Wright continued: “If Arsenal had that season with everybody going on about the manager not winning [anything]. If we could win the Europa League I’d take it.”

Keane was shocked by this thought process, as he joked: “But you’re winning the Champions League this year?”

Arsenal are 11 points behind top-of-the-table Liverpool in the Premier League table, but an impressive 3-0 win over reigning Champions League holders Real Madrid has certainly lifted their fans’ spirits – especially given the nature of the victory, as supporters and critics alike continue to rave about Declan Rice’s free-kick brace that earned him the man of the match award.

Scott asked: “But with a 14th league position, would you take it?” Wright responded: “Yeah I’d take it, because at the end of the day the fans would be happy with something wouldn’t they? I don’t know how the Man United fans will feel.”

As he looked across to Keane, the Irishman rolled his eyes and shook his head, alluding to the fact that he, at least, wouldn’t be happy with a Europa League trophy at the end of the season.

Neville went on to add: “It would be massive for Arsenal fans to win the Champions League. For Mikel Arteta to win the Champions League would be massive.” Before Scott chimed in: “Champions League is another ball game though, isn’t it?”

Spotting a time to have a subtle dig at Wright, Keane joked: “He’d be crying his eyes out. You’d be on the bus with them, wouldn’t you?”

United will take on Lyon on Thursday evening at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, with kick-off at 8pm. The return leg will be played at Old Trafford next Thursday, April 17, with the same kick-off time.