Ruben Amorim sent blunt warning and told only one thing can save Man Utd's season

Fergie time may well be a thing of the past, but even 's legendary manager would have been proud of the remarkable resurrection act that 's team managed against Lyon on Thursday night.

The Red Devils produced their own Easter miracle to, somehow, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the second half of extra-time courtesy of a flurry of quickfire goals from , and : United's unlikely matchwinner.

Victory means United not only have a semi-final date with Athletic Bilbao to look forward to later this month, but also an unlikely shot at making some sort of amends for miserable domestic season which has seen Amorim's beleaguered team set records for all the wrong reasons.

While United have become accustomed to landing far greater prizes than the Europa League, winning said trophy - and qualifying for next year's - would be a huge boost for Amorim following his turbulent start to life at Old Trafford. So, with that in mind, does Thursday night's comeback effectively save United's season? And where does it rank among the club's other famous comebacks? We asked the Mirror Football team for their verdict...

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Felix Keith

The noise after Harry Maguire nodded into the net told its own story. This was a moment that will live long in the memories of those who were inside Old Trafford - and hadn't left early.

But, as Ruben Amorim hinted himself, the jury remains out. United are all in on winning the Europa League, knowing it could salvage their campaign, which otherwise lies in tatters. If they get past Athletic Bilbao and then see off or Bodo/Glimt in the final then Amorim's debut campaign can be considered a success and the struggles in the will be partly forgiven.

The Europa League is a serious piece of silverware - just ask - and qualification for the Champions League would be a huge boost as United go into an all-important summer transfer window, in terms of attracting players.

Mike Walters

Mark Robins saving Fergie's bacon at in the 35 years ago. Steve Bruce's pair of headers against Sheffield Wednesday at the death to put United's first title in 26 years within reach in 1993. Sheringham and Solskjaer in the Nou Camp to snatch the Treble. And now Harry Maguire against Lyon.

Take your pick - but in the first three cases, United went on to lift a trophy. For Maguire's goal to carry the same weight, they must go on to win the Europa League.

Simon Mullock

As dramatic as last night’s events at Old Trafford were, the fact that United ended up needing three late goals to beat a team that had themselves fought back from 2-0 down only to go into extra-time down to 10 men merely papers over the cracks.

Ruben Amorim’s men should be congratulated for not throwing in the towel when many of their fans already had by heading for the exits after the French club went 4-2 up.

The win has rescued United’s season, but it will only matter if they now go on to lift the Europa League.

This is a club built on spectacular comebacks. The Nou Camp or Liverpool in the FA Cup earlier in 1999, coming from 3-0 down to win at Spurs two years later. Even the Manchester derby win in 2018 all eclipse this latest great escape.

Jeremy Cross

In terms of the greatest comebacks, nothing will ever top what did in Istanbul and produced in . Both of those fightbacks came in the biggest club game of all, and led to them winning the Champions League.

What United did against Lyon at Old Trafford on Thursday night was indeed spectacular. And it will give them great confidence for the remaining challenges ahead. But in real terms it changed little. United still have to go on and win the Europa League, otherwise their campaign will have been a total failure.

One thrilling comeback in the quarter final of European football's second string competition isn't going to come close to making amends for all the dross United have served up.

Andy Dunn

Look, it would, of course, be insulting to put the comeback win over Lyon in the same bracket as, say, the triumph over in the 1999 Champions League final.

This latest revival was against a team that has lost eight times in Ligue 1 this season, this was in European football’s second tier competition. And there are plenty of other United comebacks that you could justifiably rank ahead of it - the 3-2 away win at after being two down in the second leg of the ’99 Champions League semi-final, for example.

But the victory over Lyon was still a GREAT achievement and the nature of it will almost certainly never be repeated. It can only save their season, though, if United go on to win the Europa League, qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

And while the capitulation that preceded the comeback was startlingly dismal, I saw enough in the first hour of the game to believe United CAN win this competition and CAN save their season.

Mark Jones

I think United will probably win the Europa League now, but it sums up the chaos at the club that it might end up doing them more harm than good.

Ruben Amorim would surely welcome a season with no European football in which he could get extra time on the training pitch in order to implement his ideas, his methods and of course his one and only formation, but if United are in the Champions League he isn't going to get that.

And if United are in the Champions League they will end up playing at least two of Europe's elite in the Swiss system, opening up the possibility of a heavy defeat to a Barcelona or a , and that could be damaging for what Amorim is trying to achieve.

None of that should take away from the glory that was Lyon though. Their best ever comeback? Not at all, United have achieved things other football clubs can only dream of. It was a welcome shot in the arm though, and a reminder of what they can be.

Daniel Orme

Make no mistake, United’s heroic comeback against Bayern Munich to win the Champions League is the best of all-time. To roar back when all looked lost in the closing moments to claim the trophy was a monumental effort - and deserves to be right at the very top of the annals of the club.

But Thursday’s recovery might be equally as important given the transformative effect it could have on the club over the coming seasons. It gives United a major chance of returning to the Champions League, which would considerably boost the club’s coffers ahead of a huge summer rebuild under Ruben Amorim.

It’s also the first time that Old Trafford has felt ‘alive’ under the Portuguese head coach. But there’s real pressure now.

In 1999, United established themselves at the top of the European game after beating Bayern Munich. That’s not the result this time. They have to make sure they get past Athletic Bilbao, otherwise Thursday night’s miracle will be for nothing but memories.

Scott Trotter

Winning a trophy is quite simply better than not winning. It will offer United a modicum of success. But it will not go close to papering over the cracks of a disastrous campaign. It will offer Champions League football, and a much-needed financial boon that arrives with that, which could in part, dictate the club's ambitions come the transfer window, so perhaps it could save the summer for Ruben Amorim.

Qualifying for Europe's top competition could come with its own difficulties though. The Red Devils aren't a club of that calibre currently and United's ability to balance European and domestic football has come into question plenty without ramping up the difficulty. Pressure will arrive quickly for Amorim should United not elevate themselves from the bottom half of the table in the early weeks of next season regardless of the Europa League outcome.

That said, Thursday night will have offered a special moment for those at Old Trafford and at home. Champions League comebacks against Juventus and Bayern Munich have the significance to edge out the sheer madness however. Maybe that is why winning a trophy is so important in the coming weeks.

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