“A giant like Man United have to get the top four and they look like they will get it.
“They don’t care about the top two at the moment, they just need to keep winning games and make that top four their own. I expect United to win and nail the top four spot.”
“That’s due to the coaching as well and the culture we have in the group. I think what Kieran [McKenna] and Michael [Carrick] are doing on the training pitch is fantastic.
“There’s enthusiasm, players are enjoying training and enjoying playing and they enjoy working. Paul [Pogba] mentioned it in an interview last week as well, it’s not just the free-flowing football that is the reason for us being where we are and playing as we do, it’s the hard work. Anthony [Martial] from the front leading the line as a no.9, but he also wins the ball back with Marcus [Rashford] and Mason [Greenwood], and Bruno has got that enthusiasm and energy.
“I think that’s always been a part of Man United – you have to work hard, be humble and put the team in front of any individual awards because individuals never, ever win anything [on their own], unless you are called Diego Maradona!”
“I can’t really say at the moment if everyone is 100 per cent fit
“There is a little bit of wear and tear when you play that many games but there are players there who come in and do well and want to play.
“So if we make one or two changes, I’m sure the ones who come in will have a point to prove, but then again in these last four games they’ve been excellent in the league and we want to keep that performance going.
“But we also know that the players who haven’t been involved this season are more than capable.”
“Yes he’s done fantastic this season, the way he’s finishing chances… it just shows you a confident striker. He’s always been a very good footballer and I’m glad for him he’s back from injury but we’ll do our best to stop him.”
“Nemanja is the mentor of the team. He gives us our balance, he pushes me to get forward and he directs me sometimes – he’ll say ‘go for it’, or ‘stay there’. He’s been great, he’s always giving me advice and as a midfielder he has experience and he’s won things but he always wants more.
“He trains hard and is always professional and that’s what we need in the team, we need someone like that. He trains hard and is always professional and that’s what we need in the team. We need someone like that.
“He’s been great at pushing the team to where we are now. It’s been unbelievable, it’s been great to have him as a teammate.”
“The team is completely reorganised and very different, but still the big challenges are to come.
“With such a club, it’s always important that you don’t just have a good 100 metre record but one for the marathon.
“To be successful with such a club you have to develop the team and game every day over the whole season – you can never stop learning and improving.
“And never stop winning because winning is normal and losing is always a disaster so that’s the challenge with these sort of clubs. Right now, he’s doing a good job in that respect.”
“To be honest, I’m very grateful to all the midfielders that have been playing and you have to give them credit for what they’ve been doing.
“People were talking about me, but I’m not Manchester United. What Fred and Scott and Nemanja, even Andreas who isn’t a central midfielder, have done, they have played and given everything and played well and helped us win games.
“When I saw this I was very happy and they have pushed me to get better and better, to get back into the team. I knew it would be hard when I saw them playing like they did, so I told myself: ‘you have to work hard and come back strong, because the team is doing well’.
“So Manchester United is not about me, it’s not about [Marcus] Rashford or David [De Gea] and that’s what we need.”
“We feel great. That is the mentality now – you have a positive mentality when you have a good result, but you also have to have the ability to get through the games like we did in the last few games.
“Every game is a final and we have to get the result that we need, that’s the mindset. It’s never enough for us, we have to carry on and keep fighting and keep pushing yourself to get better and better.”
“What can you lose? You can only win. Everybody thinks they will win the game. They will show us how strong they are and this is exactly what we need to face.
“To have a challenge is what we like most. This is exactly what we want to have. Everybody knows that they are strong at the moment and we go there and have a not so bad away record this season. We showed some really good games there.
“We like to have this challenge. Even though it’s the third game in a week, we play on Monday and both teams have one day more to rest. It’s a big game on Monday evening. Everybody can enjoy this game and we will, absolutely.”
“I think my favourite moment will come, because I came to Manchester to achieve some titles and everything.
“I think we are close, we have two titles to fight [for] with the FA Cup and the Europa League and also for us our title is the top four and being in the Champions League next season. It’s like a title for us. These are the ones we can achieve this season.”
“There’s so many things you have to consider when you manage a team. We’ve got players here champing at the bit, but also those that are in the rhythm.” It would be the first time since 1993 that United have named an unchanged XI in five consecutive league games if he opts to stick with the winning formula.”
“I feel proud from the team, because I think one player can change everything a lot.
“Of course I help the team. The team was good before because no team can be so good now and so bad in the past, you know. It’s not about this, it’s about confidence, it’s about results.
“We have such good qualities on the team, so for the position I play, having players in front who can score, who can get a lot of goals, is easier for me.
“I’m a risk player, I take risks. I want to take risks every time and I will take the risk every time.
“I will lose a lot of balls, I will misplace a lot of passes but I know when I find my strikers, my wingers, they will score.
“My quality becomes better and better, day after day, because they push me and I know in the moment I don’t play well or I’m not in the top of my condition, everyone else will play in my place.
“I need to be focused and every time be on top, also because we play for Manchester United – this club you need to be on top for all games.”
Manchester United will secure third place in the Premier League if they win all of their remaining fixtures following Chelsea’s defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday.
Confidence is sky high as United are unbeaten in 17 matches across all competitions and were at their brilliant best against Aston Villa last week.
United will hope to put an end to their recent dismal home record against the Saints, winning just two of their last six clashes at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has named an unchanged side for the past four fixtures and hinted the team could stay the same for the fifth consecutive game. It would be the first time since 1993 that United have named an unchanged 11 in five consecutive league matches if he opts to stick with the winning formula, with the Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes axis in midfield.
Kick off is at 8pm at Old Trafford.
Follow for the latest updates on our live blog below.
Manchester United have reportedly changed their mind on West Ham’s Declan Rice and have been tipped to push Chelsea all the way for his signature.
Football Insider claim that United have reignited interest in the 21-year-old as they look to sign Nemanja Matic’s long-term replacement.
Rice was on United’s radar but has now returned to form and it’s reported that United and Chelsea will battle each other for his signature.
That’s all from today’s daily news and transfer blog as we’ll be heading over to our LIVE match blog for the game against Southampton.
We’ll bring you all the latest news in the build up to kick-off as well as team news as soon as it drops.
You can follow our blog for live goal updates from Old Trafford.
See you there!
Bruno Fernandes became the first player to earn the Premier League Player of the Month and Goal of the Month – in the same month!
And the Portuguese has humbly credited his United teammates for helping him pick up the prizes.
He’s spoken to the Premier League website:
Frank Lampard says he was ‘neutral’ on whether Manchester City would win their appeal against a Champions League ban, as it was confirmed that Chelsea will have to finish in the top four to qualify for the competition next season.
City’s successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport means their two-year expulsion from the Champions League has been overturned, meaning the fifth-placed team in this season’s Premier League will qualify for the Europa League as usual.
If the ban had been upheld, City’s Champions League place would have gone to the fifth team, which is currently Manchester United.
A win for United on Monday evening against Southampton will lift them above Chelsea and Leicester into third, with three games remaining.
Lampard spoke about where it leaves the race for the top-four here.
He makes things happen.
Kick off isn’t far away…
United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has enjoyed a brilliant two-year spell with Sheffield United, but his time there is almost at an end.
His impressive form has reportedly attracted the interest of many clubs, and if he remains behind David de Gea in the pecking order at United, then he may be looking to leave.
The Express are reporting that Chelsea may look to sign Henderson as a replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga, with the world’s most expensive goalkeeper having made costly errors for the Blues this season.
He’s looking for yet another win.
Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has backed United to win 3-1 tonight and continue their surge towards the top four:
“A giant like Man United have to get the top four and they look like they will get it.
“They don’t care about the top two at the moment, they just need to keep winning games and make that top four their own. I expect United to win and nail the top four spot.”
Solskjaer has also been asked about the good feeling in his squad right now:
“That’s due to the coaching as well and the culture we have in the group. I think what Kieran [McKenna] and Michael [Carrick] are doing on the training pitch is fantastic.
“There’s enthusiasm, players are enjoying training and enjoying playing and they enjoy working. Paul [Pogba] mentioned it in an interview last week as well, it’s not just the free-flowing football that is the reason for us being where we are and playing as we do, it’s the hard work. Anthony [Martial] from the front leading the line as a no.9, but he also wins the ball back with Marcus [Rashford] and Mason [Greenwood], and Bruno has got that enthusiasm and energy.
“I think that’s always been a part of Man United – you have to work hard, be humble and put the team in front of any individual awards because individuals never, ever win anything [on their own], unless you are called Diego Maradona!”
Casey Stoney’s side are getting busy with their recruitment.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted that ‘wear and tear’ could well cause him to make changes to his Manchester United side against Southampton tonight.
The Norwegian has named the same team for the past four matches, all of which United have won by a three-goal margin. He brought Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Mason Greenwood in for Fred, Scott McTominay and Daniel James after the 1-1 draw with Tottenham in the first game back after the restart.
But although that 11 has proven to be an almighty success, helping United extend their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions and recorded four successive three-goal margin victories, he told the club’s official website that now could be the time for changes.
“I can’t really say at the moment if everyone is 100 per cent fit
“There is a little bit of wear and tear when you play that many games but there are players there who come in and do well and want to play.
“So if we make one or two changes, I’m sure the ones who come in will have a point to prove, but then again in these last four games they’ve been excellent in the league and we want to keep that performance going.
“But we also know that the players who haven’t been involved this season are more than capable.”
Read more from Solskjaer here
The Southampton striker is certainly a man to watch out for tonight. This is what Solskjaer told United’s official website about Ings:
“Yes he’s done fantastic this season, the way he’s finishing chances… it just shows you a confident striker. He’s always been a very good footballer and I’m glad for him he’s back from injury but we’ll do our best to stop him.”
Are you backing yet another United win?
Paul Pogba has lifted the lid on the advice he gets from midfield partner Nemanja Matic during Manchester United games.
A midfield trio of Pogba, Matic and Bruno Fernandes has emerged as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preferred combination, and has helped United win four successive games, as they prepare to face Southampton tonight (Monday).
Pogba has shone since returning from an ankle injury, but it’s Matic who is the unsung star of the team. The Frenchman revealed to United Review the impact Matic has when encouraging him during matches:
“Nemanja is the mentor of the team. He gives us our balance, he pushes me to get forward and he directs me sometimes – he’ll say ‘go for it’, or ‘stay there’. He’s been great, he’s always giving me advice and as a midfielder he has experience and he’s won things but he always wants more.
“He trains hard and is always professional and that’s what we need in the team, we need someone like that. He trains hard and is always professional and that’s what we need in the team. We need someone like that.
“He’s been great at pushing the team to where we are now. It’s been unbelievable, it’s been great to have him as a teammate.”
Read more from Pogba here
Daniel James may not get a start this time, though. His form has dipped since that early season surge.
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has warned United and Solskjaer that they haven’t yet achieved their goals.
Mind games before tonight’s clash?
“The team is completely reorganised and very different, but still the big challenges are to come.
“With such a club, it’s always important that you don’t just have a good 100 metre record but one for the marathon.
“To be successful with such a club you have to develop the team and game every day over the whole season – you can never stop learning and improving.
“And never stop winning because winning is normal and losing is always a disaster so that’s the challenge with these sort of clubs. Right now, he’s doing a good job in that respect.”
It’s now clear that only a top four finish will be good enough for teams to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
But Manchester United are overwhelming favourites to do exactly that, according to the bookmakers, after defeats for both Chelsea and Leicester at the weekend.
Odds to finish in the top four via BonusCodeBets.co.uk:
Manchester United 1/8
Chelsea 1/3
Leicester 2/1
Pick your team for the Man Utd game against Southampton, then share it with others and see the most popular selection by all fans.
Pick your team to face Southampton using the selector above.
Manchester United will be looking to extend their unbeaten run when they host Southampton in the Premier League fixture on Monday night.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side know victory over Southampton at Old Trafford will lift them into the top-four and give them total control over their own Champions League hopes for next season.
United have lost just one of their last 15 home league games (W9 D5), winning the last four in a row by an aggregate score of 13-2. Prior to this, they had lost three out of five at Old Trafford (W1 D1).
In terms of early team news Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe remain the only two absentees ahead of the match.
In this article, our writers pick their teams to face Southampton.
Paul Pogba name-checked fellow midfielders Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic as three players who performed well for Manchester United during his injury absence.
The French midfielder was out for a long time with an ankle injury, sidelined from December until the restart in June, after having surgery. In that time Ole Gunnar Solskjaer used the four players, also including Andreas Pereira who Pogba also mentioned, at the base of his midfield.
And Pogba admitted he was impressed with how the United midfield functioned in his absence. This is what he told United Review:
“To be honest, I’m very grateful to all the midfielders that have been playing and you have to give them credit for what they’ve been doing.
“People were talking about me, but I’m not Manchester United. What Fred and Scott and Nemanja, even Andreas who isn’t a central midfielder, have done, they have played and given everything and played well and helped us win games.
“When I saw this I was very happy and they have pushed me to get better and better, to get back into the team. I knew it would be hard when I saw them playing like they did, so I told myself: ‘you have to work hard and come back strong, because the team is doing well’.
“So Manchester United is not about me, it’s not about [Marcus] Rashford or David [De Gea] and that’s what we need.”
The ramifications from today’s Man City decision are huge and United fans know it…
Manchester United will not qualify for the Champions League if they finish in fifth place in the Premier League this season, after Manchester City’s ban from Europe was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
United are currently in fifth and closing in on the top four following a 17-game unbeaten run. They sit a point off fourth spot ahead of Monday night’s game against Southampton but will go third with victory at Old Trafford.
Normally, only the top four qualify for the Champions League, but City’s two-year ban from European football would have given fifth place qualification for next season’s competition.
City were handed the punishment, and a €30m fine, for ‘serious breaches’ of Financial Fair Play Regulations back in February. The club immediately announced their intention to appeal, and took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport last month.
Now, CAS have announced that City did not disguise equity funding but did fail to cooperate with UEFA authorities. Their fine has been reduced to €10 million Euros and the ban has been lifted, leaving City free to play in next season’s Champions League, as they are set to finish second in the Premier League.
Read the full story here
United will have to finish fourth to qualify for the Champions League.
Manchester City are about to find out whether their UEFA ban will be upheld or not.
The CAS decision will have consequences for United. You can follow it as it unfolds here.
Mason Greenwood nearly joined Juventus.
Well that’s according to the Talk of the Devils podcast, who claimed that the young Manchester United forward – now in red hot form for Solskjaer’s side – was on the brink of a move to Italy last summer.
Thankfully for United, Greenwood hasn’t gone anywhere yet, and they’ll be desperate to keep him.
United midfielder Paul Pogba has spoken about the good feeling in the camp right now, as they look to press home for a top four finish.
This is what he told United review:
“We feel great. That is the mentality now – you have a positive mentality when you have a good result, but you also have to have the ability to get through the games like we did in the last few games.
“Every game is a final and we have to get the result that we need, that’s the mindset. It’s never enough for us, we have to carry on and keep fighting and keep pushing yourself to get better and better.”
Southampton are a hard working team and Solskjaer wants his players to match them.
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has said that he side cannot lose as they prepare to face Manchester United this evening.
No team has beaten United since the restart, though Saints recently shocked Man City with a 1-0 win. Here’s what the Austrian boss said:
“What can you lose? You can only win. Everybody thinks they will win the game. They will show us how strong they are and this is exactly what we need to face.
“To have a challenge is what we like most. This is exactly what we want to have. Everybody knows that they are strong at the moment and we go there and have a not so bad away record this season. We showed some really good games there.
“We like to have this challenge. Even though it’s the third game in a week, we play on Monday and both teams have one day more to rest. It’s a big game on Monday evening. Everybody can enjoy this game and we will, absolutely.”
More from that Fernandes Sky interview here, and what he said when asked what his favourite moment has been at United so far:
“I think my favourite moment will come, because I came to Manchester to achieve some titles and everything.
“I think we are close, we have two titles to fight [for] with the FA Cup and the Europa League and also for us our title is the top four and being in the Champions League next season. It’s like a title for us. These are the ones we can achieve this season.”