Chelsea is just the start of a crucial run for Solskjaer now
THE hype building up to United’s game against Chelsea tomorrow has snowballed throughout the winter break.
Fans have been deprived of their regular Premier League fix, to the point where it’s felt rather like the entire sport has come to a standstill in the past week or so.
Hence, the top-four showdown at Stamford Bridge will be billed as an enormous clash.
Of course, for United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it is huge.
It’s no exaggeration to say the game could define the Reds’ season, more than any other game they have played by this stage.
Already the ex-United and Chelsea players have been lined up for comment, with Mark Bosnich telling his former employers just how much pressure they’ll be under in west London.
“I don’t think it’s win or bust, but you could lean towards it being lose or bust,” he said on Sky Sports.
“I think it’s a must not lose. The gap will be a little bit far to catch up if they lose.”
But win, lose or draw tomorrow night, there are some other big games for United even after the Chelsea contest...
TWO GAMES VS CLUB BRUGGE
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AT least two games here that will take on giant proportions.
In fact, every Europa League match that United play between now and whenever their campaign finishes will be big - and even bigger if Champions League qualification through the domestic channel becomes beyond their reach.
The Reds will be overwhelming favourites to come through the tie, although against the team running away with the Belgian Jupiler League, it will not be straightforward.
The away leg on Thursday will provide the trickier test, given that United only won one won of three away games in the group stage, against Partizan Belgrade, and scored just two goals on their travels. The return leg at Old Trafford is on February 27, so Solskjaer will be hoping his team’s season isn’t virtually over before March.
FA CUP VS DERBY COUNTY
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THE reunion with Wayne Rooney was the headline when this tie against Derby at Pride Park was confirmed.
But United, having come so close to reaching Wembley as they were knocked out over two legs by City in the Carabao Cup, will be gunning for a domestic cup title. Winning the FA Cup would be a huge feather in Solskjaer’s cap, given his only trophies as a manager have come with United Reserves and Molde. Derby ought not to provide very stiff competition given they are currently way off the pace in the Championship play-off race.
But United have often struggled against Football League opposition in the cups since Sir Alex Ferguson’s
With a quarter-final place at stake, the game’s importance won’t be lost on anyone