Gary Neville maintains that Manchester United's season will go down as a success - provided they secure the Europa League title - a viewpoint that left Roy Keane visibly puzzled.
The ex-United duo engaged in a lively exchange on the latest Stick To Football podcast, debating whether a piece of silverware could redeem what has otherwise been a disappointing campaign for Ruben Amorim's squad.
Neville conceded that United's domestic form has been poor, but believed that lifting the Europa League would put a positive spin on the campaign. Echoing Ian Wright's claim that any trophy win should be viewed as a success regardless of context, Neville said: "I agree.
"There will be a 'but', obviously... if you're winning a trophy during years you're not winning the league, I always think you're still keeping momentum." Keane, however, was not convinced.
"Not for Man United," said the Irishman. "For other teams, [just] winning trophies [can be considered success]. [But] the trophy and the competition itself shouldn't be enough for United. Absolutely not... to lose that many league matches [it can't be considered a successful season]."
Neville countered: "The reason I would say it's successful is because United couldn't win the league this season. We knew that at the start. So they could only win three trophies. They could only win the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and the Europa League.
"So if they win one of those I would say it's successful because of that. There is a big 'but' - they've sacked a manager and they're 14th in the league or 13th in the league - that's bad."
Keane shot back: "I understand that Man United couldn't win the league, but is 13th or 14th okay then? All the teams that are mid-table - I'm not even asking Man United to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City - but United should be ahead of Crystal Palace, Fulham, all these teams.
"So how are we going to say that's success? What's your bread and butter as a footballer? To win week in, week out. Winning the Europa League is a great way to get into the Champions League, but I wouldn't say winning that trophy for Man United is a successful season."
United are set to play Lyon in the opening leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, with the second match at Old Trafford next week. If they advance, they'll take on either Rangers or Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals.
With a 15-point deficit separating them from fifth-place Newcastle, United's only viable route back to the Champions League lies in winning the Europa League.
Despite Arsenal's 3-0 triumph over Real Madrid on Tuesday earning the Premier League an extra Champions League slot, Amorim's team would still need to surpass at least eight other clubs in the table to qualify through domestic placement.
Their remaining schedule doesn't offer much relief either, with away games at Chelsea and Newcastle, along with a home clash against a surging Aston Villa side to come.
English (United States) ·