Manchester United were left frustrated at Old Trafford again this weekend following a goalless draw with West Brom, with the dropped points seeing the Red Devils concede their advantage in the race for a top-four finish.

Still with two games in hand, Manchester United require Liverpool to drop points if they are to finish above their arch-rivals this season and secure a spot in the Champions League- a daunting task when comparing the fixture lists of the two sides.

Whilst United still have Manchester City, Arsenal, Spurs, Everton and Chelsea to face, Liverpool have completed their fixtures against the Premier League’s top seven and face a favourable run in- although the Reds have struggled against lower-end opponents throughout the campaign.

That could give Manchester United problems but the long-term looks bright under Jose Mourinho, as the Portuguese boss has seen his side’s biggest problem this season being failure to take advantage at home- which isn’t too bad of a problem at all.

United have dropped points at Old Trafford against the likes of Bournemouth, Hull and West Ham this season but the positive sign is that the Red Devils have remained competitive despite these disappointing results- currently standing six points behind Liverpool with two games in hand.

Mourinho’s men have lost just three games this season, the joint-best record in the Premier League, but their tally of 11 draws is by far the largest amount in the division and it’s seen United drop 22 points in those fixtures alone. Had they secured more positive results in those ties, United could well have found themselves at the summit of the Premier League.

That’s a problem that should be fairly easy for Mourinho to fix in the long-term though, as he’ll splash the cash this summer and improve the attacking line, as well as bolstering his options elsewhere to build a side capable of winning the title.

Despite how they look on paper, Manchester United’s defence has been solid this season with just 23 goals conceded across 28 matches, a number only Spurs can better. In front of goal is where the problems lie though, despite the abundance of attacking talent the Red Devils boast, as a return of 42 goals is the lowest of any side in the Premier League’s top seven.

Turning draws into victories is an easier task than overcoming defeats though, so Manchester United have done enough this season to get the rest of the Premier League worried. With their continued action in the Europa League, a Champions League spot is still within their grasp and attacking improvements this summer will build a side that should be feared across Europe.

Make no mistake, Manchester United still have a lot of work to do between now and the end of the season and a top-four finish is still achievable. However, the best possible tactic could well be preparing for next season and ensuring success in the Europa League.

With the signings that Manchester United are reportedly eyeing at the end of the campaign, the Red Devils should be able to make great progress under Mourinho’s guidance next season and push to clinch their first Premier League title since the great Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Considering their draw United may well be able to claim their second trophy of the year via the Europa League and in so doing claim a place in the Champions League and as mentioned previously considering their remaining fixtures this may be the best chance they have to qualify for next season’s Champions League.