February - A crucial month of football for Manchester United
As we move into the month of February we can expect Louis van Gaal and his lads to be pumped up for the busy fixture period up ahead, with as many as 7 games waiting for the Red Devils’ in a span of 25 days. Van Gaal and his men come into this month on the back of an impressive display at the iPro stadium against Derby County in the FA Cup fourth round fixture which saw his team win 3-1.
The contribution from Anthony Martial is also worth mentioning, who received innumerable praise for his display against Derby. With Memphis not able to express himself in the manner that he would like, Martial seems to have stepped up a notch and it is evident with his performances in the month of January.
Jesse Lingard’s contribution was notable too, setting up the goal for Daley Blind against Derby and his displays in the month of January are signs that he has “upped” his game and the club and supporters alike expect him to build on it with a busy and crucial period of football heading the clubs way.
First up, Stoke City at Old Trafford
Manchester United kick-off February at Old Trafford with a game against Mark Hughes’ Stoke City. Mark Hughes, an ex-Manchester United player himself, has been known to cause disappointments to the red side of Manchester time and again. After 23 games, the Potters find themselves in the ninth position on the Premier League table.
United walk into this game sitting fifth in Premier League and with a gap of five points between them and Tottenham, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League spot. The two teams (United and Stoke) are only separated by four points and a win for Stoke could bring them up to a point behind Van Gaal’s team.
Stoke City team will be rubbing their hands with anticipation ahead of the game against Manchester United and rightfully so, since the reverse fixture saw Stoke City thump the Manchester-based club 2-0 on the boxing-day. Since then Stoke have lost two games out of the six they have played and also suffered a Capital One Cup exit after losing out to Liverpool on penalties in the second leg of the semifinal.
Can United finally beat Chelsea?
Then next four games for Manchester United see them paying visits to 4 different locations, as they face a string of away games in the league, FA cup and the Europa league as well. United’s first away fixture of the month comes again Chelsea, who themselves are trying their best to get their season back on track, on February 7.
Both the teams have failed to deliver their best thus far, but with Rooney finding some form and Martial, who has been the club’s most consistent and exciting player, also raising his game, the Red Army can be hopeful of a win. On the other hand, Chelsea, who have spoiled Manchester United’s party on a number of occasions, might pull off a win themselves and with the news about John Terry leaving the club at the end of the season might add a certain amount of buzz to this fixture.
Van Gaal and his men then pay a visit to struggling Sunderland who currently occupy the 19th position in the league. With just five wins in the league this season, the Black Cats will be looking for a win as every point matters at this stage of the season.
Manchester United won the reverse fixture at Old Trafford comfortably in a 3-0 thumping and the upcoming game should see the Red Devils team pick up all 3 points in what could be treated as a do-or-die game for the hosts.
Europa League vs Midtjylland FC
Manchester United also commence their Europa league journey with a trip to Denmark where they face Midtjylland FC in the round of 32. With the Europa League being United’s only hope of stamping some form of authority in Europe, the supporters will expect a heart-filled display to progress into the next round.
The reverse fixture, i.e. the second-leg of the tie takes place on February 26, the supporters are looking forward to the match as European football returns to Old Trafford, albeit it's the Europa League and not the Champions League, where the supporters would rather see Manchester United compete and play.
FA Cup vs Shrewsbury Town
Between the pair of games against Midtjylland FC, Van Gaal and his players face a fifth round FA cup fixture against Shrewsbury Town. This is the first time that the Red Devils have been drawn with Shrewsbury and the supporters will be thrilled if Van Gaal and his team were to pull off a victory and go on to enjoy a good FA cup run.
Shrewsbury who are currently in 20th position in League One will be looking forward to this FA cup tie since this may be their biggest game of the season. With the unexpected nature of the FA cup also a factor, it is safe to say that anything can be expected from this game. Although United will be seen as firm favourites to go through and a loss to Shrewsbury will again create a wave of controversy regarding Van Gaal and his future as a manager of the club.
The Big One: United vs Arsenal
Manchester United end the month of February with a home game against Arsenal who are in top form. Arsene Wenger and his men killed the game in the reverse fixture within 20 minutes, scoring 3 goals and clearly outlining the difference in class between the two sides. United will be looking for revenge, and a win could very well see them entering the rat race for the Premier League title.
This month could make or break Manchester United and Louis Van Gaal’s season; it could see them progress into the next round of two competitions or it could even end their European journey and the FA cup run.
A lot to look forward to in the month of February and no doubt it consists of a series of games that could shape Manchester United’s and Van Gaal’s future.