Boss: Reds had to give up on top four

JOSE Mourinho insists it is not a gamble to shut down the Premier League top four battle to throw everything at the Europa League.

The United boss has put all his eggs in the Euro basket as the Reds’ hopes of making the Champions League via the top four have faded disastrously.

Four draws and a defeat in April and May have shattered United’s fight to overhaul City and Liverpool.

But Mourinho says it was the debilitating injury list that forced him to concentrate on getting to Stockholm on May 24 and winning the European trophy that would see the Reds return to the Champions League.

“The situation is simple. Seventeen matches in seven weeks with 16 players is impossible,” he said at his pre-match semi-final press conference against Celta Vigo.

“It was not a gamble. It was a simple decision, based on common sense. Seventeen matches in seven weeks, April and May. It’s completely impossible.

“Since the moment we lost players (Chris) Smalling and (Phil) Jones with the international team and (Marcos) Rojo and Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) against Anderlecht, and after that we lost good alternatives, (Luke) Shaw, (Ashley) Young, (Timothy) FosuMensah, when we lost those it was an impossible job.

“It was not a gamble, it was just a consequence of our situation. We are in this situation and we have to fight for it. Let’s see if we can do it.”