Manchester United’s win over Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round of the FA Cup in Sunday’s late kick off may not have been a classic but it was the ideal start to what could be a huge week in Jose Mourinho’s first season at the club.

The fifth round win kept the Portuguese’s hopes of a cup treble in his maiden year alive, with the next two games crucial in keeping their runs going.

The side travel to France in the week where they will face St. Etienne for the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie, into which they take a more than encouraging 3-0 lead.

Having come back across the channel with, many will expect, a ball in the hat for the quarter-finals of Europe’s second tier competition, focus must quickly switch to Sunday and Wembley Stadium.

The Red Devils face Southampton in the EFL Cup final with the chance to take home the first major trophy of Mourinho’s reign. It is a competition of which the Portuguese is rather fond, having won it three times with Chelsea, twice on his way to a Premier League crown.

Whilst a title this season now looks exceedingly far-fetched, a League Cup win can do more for a squad than give them something to celebrate. The winning mentality taking home a trophy well before the close of the season imparts on a squad can have a marvellous effect on their run in, and with two other titles still to chase, and Antonio Conte’s side to navigate in the FA Cup, it could be quite the boost.

The Saints will go into the tie with nothing to lose. The south coast club have not won a major trophy since Lawrie McMenemy lead them to the FA Cup final in 1976, where they beat Manchester United 1-0, an omen maybe? Not something Mourinho will consider.

The former Real Madrid and Inter Milan boss has already dispatched Claude Puel’s side once this season, a 2-0 win at Old Trafford early on, where Zlatan Ibrahimovic led a performance which blew the Saints away, the same will be expected at Wembley.

With a new contract seemingly on the way for Mourinho, regardless of whether or not they secure Champions League football, you would expect to see strong line-ups reflecting that as at Ewood Park throughout the rest of the tournaments.

Whilst a Premier League title was expected of Mourinho’s first season in charge from many corners of Old Trafford, a cup treble is not a bad way to get going in the biggest seat in English club football, and the next six days could go a long way to achieving that.

If you fancy having a bet on the EFL Cup final at Wenbley or any other Man United game you can check the latest ManU odds and see what kind of a bet you want to place.