Manchester United’s recent run of success has disguised need for changes

clinch a Champions League qualification spot.

“I think there are many teams in that battle for third and fourth – Leicester, Chelsea, us, Wolves are doing really well,” added Solskjaer, whose United side is in sixth place, five points behind fourth-place Chelsea.

“For me as a team we're trying to implement our ideas. When you go into the next game knowing you've won the previous game it's a good place to be in.

But there is a big drop off to the second string. The likes of Diogo Dalot, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Eric Bailly hardly delivered performances that will reassure Solskjaer of his options and showed he needs to freshen up his squad to provide the necessary depth and competition for places.

“I think every year you're in the Champions League is a great experience. For the players it's a step forward, for us it's what we're striving to do, winning trophies, and we need to focus on one game at a time,” said Solskjaer.

Disgruntled Dyche in no rush

Burnley manager Sean Dyche's future has been the subject of much speculation in the British media after his recent comments criticizing his chairman and board for allowing player contracts to run out and failing to back him with resources in the transfer market.

Dyche's relationship with chairman Mike Garlick certainly appears strained, but the assumption that this means the manager will seek pastures new may be a little premature.

There is no obvious destination for Dyche at the moment and Garlick is unlikely to force the issue and sack his manager, who has achieved another solid mid-table season.

Unless Dyche was to decide to take a break and wait for the right job to come along next season, it would not be a surprise if he stays in an unhappy relationship for a while longer.

Court verdict remains biggest issue for Man City

After easing into the FA Cup semifinals with a win at Newcastle United on Sunday, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was quick to offer a reminder that, despite Liverpool's success in the Premier League, his side remains on course for a treble of League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League.

City holds a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid from the away leg of their last-16 clash in February before the competition was suspended due to COVID-19.

Europe's elite club competition will be completed with an eightteam mini-tournament held in Lisbon in August. The FA Cup semis will be held on July 18-19 and the final is scheduled for August 1.

Guardiola also said he was pleased with City's response after last week's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea handed Liverpool the Premier League title.

“We're delighted after the defeat against Chelsea to be in London again at Wembley to play against Arsenal in the semifinal to try to reach the final of the FA Cup,” he added.

“Always it's an incredible trophy and it gives us an extra bonus.”

But the club still has a two-year UEFA ban from Europe hanging over it and is nervously awaiting the outcome of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport which is due in the next two weeks.

Ings in England contention

Danny Ings scored twice in Southampton's 3-1 win at Watford on Sunday, taking him to 18 Premier League goals for the season, one behind Jamie Vardy.

Before lockdown there were plenty of people banging the drum for Ings to get an international recall but the cancellation of England's friendlies against Italy and Denmark meant no squad was selected.

The postponement of Euro 2020 soon followed and Ings must have felt his time had gone, with young thrusters such as Tammy Abraham and Dominic Calvert-Lewin seemingly well placed and injured regulars Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford benefiting from a long layoff.

Since the restart, however, Ings has continued to look the sharpest English forward in the league and the variety and quality of his finishing will surely have caught England manager Gareth Southgate's eye. (Reuters) *Liverpool 31 Manchester City 31 Leicester City 31 Chelsea 31 Wolverhampton 32 ManchesterUnited 31 Tottenham Hotspur 31 Sheffield United 31 Arsenal 31 Crystal Palace 31 Burnley 31 Everton 31 Southampton 32 Newcastle United 31 Brighton & Hove 31 Watford 32 West Ham United 31 AFC Bournemouth 31 Aston Villa 31 Norwich City 31 28 2 1 70 21 86 20 3 8 77 33 63 16 7 8 59 29 55 16 6 9 55 41 54 13 13 6 45 34 52 13 10 8 48 31 49 12 9 10 50 41 45 11 11 9 30 31 44 10 13 8 43 41 43 11 9 11 28 36 42 12 6 13 35 45 42 11 8 12 38 46 41 12 4 16 41 55 40 10 9 12 29 42 39 7 12 12 34 41 33 6 10 16 29 49 28 7 6 18 35 54 27 7 6 18 29 50 27 7 6 19 36 60 27 5 6 20 25 56 21