Louis van Gaal believes that winning the Europa League or the FA Cup is more important than qualifying for the top four in the Premier League.
Currently, United are in fifth place in the Premier League, and have already reached the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and the quarterfinals of the Europa League, where they will face London's West Ham and Liverpool clubs, respectively.
Finishing in the top four would guarantee a place in the Champions League. The same opportunity would be gained by winning the Europa League.
However, no matter what, Van Gaal thinks that winning a trophy should always be a priority.
"The goal is to win the Europa League and of course, Manchester United have not won the Europa League. It should be fantastic for the club and for the fans when you win a title. It has also been a while since our last FA Cup triumph, and that would also be great," he said.
"A title is always more valuable than a fourth-place finish, but the Champions League is our goal, so the Europa League is very important for us, just like finishing fourth in the league," he added.
United's form is on the rise, having won four consecutive matches, but Van Gaal understands that there is still a long way to go to achieve their goals.
When asked about the improvement in form, Van Gaal responded: "I don't think much has changed. When you see that we've closed the gap, then it looks like we have improved. I tell my players that they must believe. I believe it, but most importantly, the players must believe. We still have to beat West Brom, and that won't be easy."
Player Marcus Rashford has played a significant role in United's recent victories by scoring four goals in three matches with the main team.
Van Gaal urged the press not to put too much pressure on the 18-year-old, but the focus shifted again when England manager Roy Hodgson did not rule out the possibility of calling up the forward for the upcoming European Championship in France.
When asked if it was too early for Rashford to play for the England team, Van Gaal added: "It's never too early. I've said this many times in my previous press conferences. The age is not important. I have said it, do you remember? Age is not important, quality is."
Van Gaal also received good news about the return of injured players. He confirmed that Bastian Schweinsteiger, Antonio Valencia, Marouane Fellaini, and Phil Jones are nearing their return to the main team, while Ashley Young will return to training later this month.
"Valencia is returning to training with the first team, as is Marouane Fellaini. Schweinsteiger is also returning to training. Jones should start training with the main team next week, and Bastian can also join," Van Gaal said.
"They are returning, but they will not be physically ready to play matches. If I don't need to take risks, I won't. They won't be able to play matches properly because the pace of the game is much higher. So, we need more training and allow them to play in the reserve team."
"Maybe due to circumstances, I may have to take risks like I did with Marcos Rojo, but when I don't have to take risks, I won't do it," Van Gaal concluded.
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