‘United Have Got Themselves Into A Great Position’

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‘United Have Got Themselves Into A Great Position’

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has done a fantastic job to move Manchester United into top-four contention, according to ESPN’s Senior Writer, Mark Ogden.

2020-07-26T09:43:55.076Z

by Sam Jones

Published

26 Jul, 2020

‘United Have Got Themselves Into A Great Position’

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has done a fantastic job to move Manchester United into top-four contention, according to ESPN’s Senior Writer, Mark Ogden.

Sam Jones

2020-07-26T09:43:55.076Z

‘United Have Got Themselves Into A Great Position’

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has done a fantastic job to move Manchester United into top-four contention, according to ESPN’s Senior Writer, Mark Ogden.

Sam Jones

2020-07-26T09:43:55.076Z

‘United Have Got Themselves Into A Great Position’

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has done a fantastic job to move Manchester United into top-four contention, according to ESPN’s Senior Writer, Mark Ogden.

Sam Jones

2020-07-26T09:43:55.076Z

‘United Have Got Themselves Into A Great Position’

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has done a fantastic job to move Manchester United into top-four contention, according to ESPN’s Senior Writer, Mark Ogden.

Sam Jones

2020-07-26T09:43:55.076Z

- Leicester City host Manchester United at King Power Stadium on Sunday (4pm kick-off)- At least one side will end the day with UEFA Champions League qualification secured- ESPN’s Mark Ogden believes Bruno Fernandes will be key to United’s chances in the game- He also says both defences are likely to be vulnerable and expects to see goals

United head into Sunday’s visit to Leicester City unbeaten since the restart, although back-to-back home draws against West Ham United and Southampton have come more recently for the Red Devils.

Solskjær's men travel to King Power Stadium requiring one point to finish inside the UEFA Champions League places, with Chelsea’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers also potentially crucial.

However, given United’s attacking talent, coupled with recent defensive frailties, Ogden says there is only one mindset the visitors will have.

“There have to approach it to win, I don’t think they can go into the game looking to draw,” he commented, speaking to LCFC TV’s City On The Sofa show. “That’s a dangerous way to approach any game and I think they have to look at Leicester’s problems defensively.

“They’ve lost three quarters of the back four, so United will look to play to their strengths, which is up front, and obviously they’ve got great attacking power.

“But United at the back are also quite vulnerable. Leicester know Harry Maguire pretty well but he’s had a difficult few weeks and if Jamie Vardy is fit and firing as he usually is, then United have got a problem.

“It’s well balanced. Leicester need to win, that makes them more dangerous, so it’s a tough game and a strange game because of the scenarios in play.”

Despite sitting in third, level on points with Chelsea and one ahead of fifth-placed Leicester, Ogden believes United are anticipating a tough game against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

He added: “There’s always a fear that they’ll blow it. I think that’s just the natural pessimism of football supporters, but considering where United were when lockdown happened, they have improved.

“They still had an outside chance of getting in the top four, so they’ve done a fantastic job to actually get into this position.

“They haven’t lost since the restart, but they drew at home to Southampton last week and they drew at home to West Ham, so those two home games could cost them a place in the Champions League.

“They’ve got themselves into a great position, they haven’t been as high as third since the opening weekend, but there’s still this sense of anxiety and nervousness that they’ve had their chance. A 1-0 defeat at the weekend could see them fifth unless dramatic things happen at Chelsea.”

Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes is seen to be key to United’s chances of taking a positive result from Sunday game.

The 25-year-old has made an immediate impact on the Manchester outfit, scoring seven times and assisting seven more since signing from Sporting Lisbon in the January transfer window.

“He’s been transformative,” Ogden added. “Some people have even compared him to Eric Cantona in the sense of the way he’s lit up the team and changed the direction.

“I think those kind of comparisons are a little bit overblown considering what Cantona did, but I can see it in the sense that United were drifting along when Bruno Fernandes arrived.

“They’d just lost to Liverpool and Burnley, they were looking in trouble, and all of a sudden, he comes in and changes the way they play and has lifted the confidence.

“I think now Paul Pogba is back, despite being the biggest star, Fernandes has played amazingly too, so he’s the player United will rely upon on Sunday to inspire them to get a result.”

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