Zlatan Eyes Success In 3 Competitions

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Manchester United should be targeting success on three different fronts as the Reds head into four cup matches in 11 days.

United’s no.9 was influential in the 2-0 win over Watford at Old Trafford on Saturday, in which goals from Juan Mata and Anthony Martial secured three vital points as the Reds maintained the pressure on the teams occupying the top four places in the Premier League. 

Jose Mourinho’s men now face four matches in three different cup competitions, with two games in the Europa League Round of 32 against Saint-Etienne followed by an Emirates FA Cup fifth-round tie against Blackburn Rovers and the EFL Cup final against Southampton on 26 February. 

Ibrahimovic accepts the team's Premier League title chances are small but knows the Reds have the excitement of vying for glory in three other competitions.

"We just need to keep going," Ibrahimovic told reporters following the win over Watford. "We want to go through the Europa League and we have a good game at home against Saint-Etienne. From five trophies this season we have won one [the Community Shield] and we are still in four. 

"I think from the four teams in front, only one will become champions. The rest will not get a trophy, but we have one and we can get our second one [the EFL Cup], and we are still in the Europa League and FA Cup, so if we don’t become champions in the Premier League at least we can try and win two or three trophies."

The Reds briefly moved into fifth place in the table for the first time since October, until Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the late Premier League kick-off, but Ibrahimovic admits all United can do is win. 

"We know where we are and that we have been stuck in the same position for many months," he said. 

“We had it [fifth spot] for 20 minutes perhaps and we are back in the same position now, but we know what we need to do. We need to keep winning to climb in the table and hope the others lose points and we can go past them."

On the comfortable victory over the Hornets, the Swede admitted he was a little disappointed he could not take one of his chances to score. 

"It could have been a few more; I wish I could have scored. I had one or two good chances and I should have scored," the Reds' leading marksman added. 

"I mean, in these games you don’t get a lot of opportunities and when you get them you need to take them. That’s why I was a little bit disappointed in myself, but I felt good in the game. 

"I got a lot of the ball, tried to create and give stability to the team. The only thing I missed was the goal, but I tried to give Mata and Mkhitaryan the option to play around me to give more confidence to the guys."

Saint-Etienne visit Old Trafford on Thursday before United travel to France six days later and Ibrahimovic realises both legs are vital to progression in the Europa League. 

"It’s two games, two finals," he said. "It doesn’t matter if we get a good result on Thursday; we need to have good results in both."