Manchester United’s recent resurgence under interim manager Michael Carrick has sparked a wave of positivity around the club.
The Red Devils are now fourth in the Premier League standings following hugely impressive victories over Manchester City and Arsenal, two fixtures that most analysts thought they would drop points in.
Those results have sparked talk that ‘United are back’, and it would be churlish to suggest that their fans should not enjoy the moment.
However, supporters would be well-advised to avoid looking too far ahead and instead focus on Manchester United next game against Fulham on Sunday. United have been in this position before – fixtures against tougher opponents yield excellent results, before games against ‘lesser teams’ lead to dropped points.
Carrick acknowledges that United cannot get carried away
Carrick kept a level head after United’s 3-2 victory over Arsenal on Sunday by insisting that they have ‘bigger games to come’ over the next few weeks.
United have demonstrated they can compete with the top Premier League clubs, only to show fragility against supposedly weaker teams.
That point was hammered home a few weeks ago, when United took just three points from fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and Burnley.
If United had won each of those fixtures, they would be just six points behind table-toppers Arsenal with 15 games remaining. Carrick is keen to keep expectations in check.
“I’m not getting carried away,” Carrick said. “We’ve got some big games, bigger games, coming up, because every next game is the bigger game.
“So, we’re not getting carried away. We’ve got really important things coming up that we need to keep improving with.
“But there’s a lot of emotion, a lot of energy and a lot of confidence that you can take from beating City and Arsenal, but be humble and understand how we’ve got these results. That’s really important moving forward.”
Champions League qualification is an achievable target
United will head into next weekend 12 points behind Arsenal. While they can still mathematically win the title, it is unlikely to happen.
If the Red Devils won their last 15 matches, they would finish on 83 points. However, the average points needed to win the title in the Premier League era is 87.7.
Common sense and the historical statistical data suggest United are not title contenders. Securing a top-four finish is achievable.
Given the depth of their squads, Arsenal and Man City look nailed on to finish in the top four. Aston Villa’s current eight-point advantage over United should be enough for at least a third-place finish.
The Red Devils currently occupy fourth spot and look a good bet to hang onto that position between now and the end of the season.
Chelsea and Liverpool will likely be their main rivals, although other teams in the chasing pack could force their way into contention if they string together a winning run.
United arguably have most to fear from Chelsea. They have a deep squad and a new manager (Liam Rosenior) who is desperate to make an impression in the Premier League.
Liverpool are less of a threat, given that manager Arne Slot has been unable to get a tune out of his expensively assembled squad this season.
Defender Virgil van Dijk is a fading force, while talismanic forward Mohamed Salah has become a liability following his selfish outburst in December.
United have moved themselves into an excellent position in the Premier League. They must not blow the opportunity they have created.
