A couple of months ago Manchester United seemed to be cruising in third place and there was even talk of a title tilt.
But a period of hebetude since Christmas has left United desperately holding on for a top four spot come May. And the competition for places has never been greater with Southampton, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and United effectively vying for two spots.
The plain fact is that, with Newcastle (a), Arsenal (h), Liverpool (a), Tottenham (h), Chelsea (a), Everton (a) and City (h) coming up, Louis van Gaal’s side simply have to take maximum points from their next two games against Swansea and Sunderland.
Anything less and Manchester Untied will be in serious trouble of spending another year out of The Champions League. The fear of failure should be a great motivator and United fans will simply hope that Louis van Gaal quickly stumbles upon a convincing formula.
After showing some excellent skill and creativity against Preston, Ander Herrera surely must now have his chance to cement a place in the team. Juan Mata has been left out of the side so Herrera must grasp the nettle as United’s creator-in-chief.
We still think that Manchester United should try a 4-2-3-1 – it seems to suit the personnel available and could get Manchester United playing more fluently. The midfield diamond is ok too but we think that a deep lying playmaker (Herrera) could sit next to Blind and offer solidity as well as better distribution than we have seen from the defenders this season.
So here is our best XI for a tricky, must-win game at the weekend (Kick Off Saturday 15:00 local time). Let’s have your thoughts.
