United must win almost every game to qualify for CL

Juan Mata has claimed that Manchester United are entering a "crucial" stage in their attempt to regain Champions League football after being dragged into a five-way battle for the final two qualification spots.

Having slipped to fourth in the Premier League, and two points behind the surprise third-placed challengers Southampton, United’s recent run of one win from their past four league games has left question marks over whether Louis van Gaal will secure a top-four finish this season.
With the visit of Leicester City to Old Trafford this Saturday heralding a run of fixtures during which United will play just one top-four rival – West Ham at Upton Park in 10 days’ time – between now and mid-March, Van Gaal’s team appear to have a chance to regain momentum in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.

Mata has admitted that United must use their forthcoming games to rediscover their form of November and December. "We know we are arriving into a crucial moment for the season," Mata said. "The last months, the last 10-15 games, are probably the most important. We know we have to perform, we have to win and be in the position we can win. It’s very important, not just to win the games against your big rivals, but also the weaker teams. If you want to be in the top four at the end of the season, you have to win almost every game.

"It doesn’t matter if it’s Leicester City or Manchester City, so the next six or seven games are very important to get to a crucial moment in the season. But it is going to be a fight until the end and not just between two teams – it will be between three, four, five teams. This is our main objective for this season, to play Champions league football again, because I think this club should always play in the Champions League. It is the most attractive competition in the world and we need to be there again."

United’s recent run of poor results has coincided with an alarming drop in goals scored by Van Gaal’s team, who have hit three goals in their past four league outings and were held to a 0-0 draw by the League Two club Cambridge in the FA Cup fourth round last Friday. The club’s style of play under Van   Gaal has attracted criticism from supporters, who chanted for a return to a 4-4-2 formation during the recent win at Queens Park Rangers, but Mata insisted that the manager’s tactical approach was the right one for the team.

"The way the manager wants to play is attractive for the fans and attractive for the players," Mata said. "I really like it, it’s just a matter of doing it how he wants. What he is trying is to see the players and put them in the positions for the sake of the team. That’s what he’s trying.
"Obviously we have a lot of players and it’s difficult for him to figure out how to do it, but we’ve played very good football in some games, especially in November and December. We have to look back at how we did it and to do it again, because I think we can do it. The chances will come for sure, hopefully this Saturday."

With last Sunday marking the first anniversary of his arrival at United following a £37.1 million move from Chelsea, Mata admitted that, while he was happy with his contribution at the club, he could still deliver more. "I’m very happy here. Obviously last season was not the best year in the history of the club, but since the first day until today, I’m very happy with the way the fans and the club and my team-mates have welcomed me.
"I’ve scored some goals, I’ve assisted with some goals and I’m looking forward to doing it more and more and trying to help the team get back to fighting for the title. I think this is what we have to do."


By Matt Law, Telegraph