It's Europe or bust for Manchester United, according to former Red Devils defender Mikael Silvestre.
United are 12th in the Premier League standings after winning their most recent match, 2-1 against Brentford. The victory was the first in the league for the Red Devils in over a month as the club continue to struggle for consistency under Erik ten Hag.
For Silvestre, who won five league titles and a Champions League with the club during his playing days, United need to find a way to get back into Europe next season or Ten Hag could be sacked.
Speaking to Norskebettingsider, Silvestre illustrated how bad he thinks things have become at Old Trafford and how crucial getting to at least the Europa League qualifiers is for the beleaguered side.
"There is more pressure than ever on Erik ten Hag because it’s never been this bad before, there is a clear correlation between the pressure on him and Manchester United’s position in the table.
"The club is always under a lot of scrutiny and that’s not going away anytime soon. They have to step it up and find points, the football at the moment is irrelevant. They need to win games.
"It’s crucial for Ten Hag that United finish in a Europa League qualification spot at least, for the financial reasons and what it means to fans.
"Fans want to see the team finish as high as possible and if that isn’t inside Europe then you’re not competing with the top clubs. I think they will finish fifth or sixth."