While it might have seemed like for a week or two that Manchester United was talented enough to overcome a slow start to the 2014-15 campaign and possibly challenge for a Premier League title, the reality proved to be quite different. The truth is that they don’t have enough weapons to keep up with Chelsea and Manchester City this season.
A 3-1 win over Leicester City pulled them closer to the top two this week but that’s mostly because Chelsea and Man City squared off and ended up in a draw.
There is still time to close the gap but for now, the focus has to remain on approaching every game with a desire to secure maximum points. February will be a crucial month at Old Trafford as the Reds look to close in on clinching at least a Champions League spot for next year. The upcoming schedule for this month isn’t very difficult at all and there will be no excuse for a poor showing for February.
Early February Schedule Is Quite Manageable
The month of February will begin on the road where United will clash with one of those teams that aren’t far behind them in the standings in West Ham. It was a difficult month of January for Louis van Gaal’s side and they really can’t afford to concede any more points to the teams that are trailing them in the standings – especially the ones close to that fourth and final Champions League spot.
A win over West Ham would set the tone with the next toughest test for the month being a visit to Swansea City two weeks later. That game against Swansea is book ended by a pair of home dates versus lowly Burnley and Sunderland, so there will be no excuses for not earning maximum points in either contest.
United Has Struggled Against Weaker Teams
It should be noted, however, that Manchester United’s results against so-called lesser teams this season have been among the biggest reasons for their issues. United has dropped points against Swansea at Old Trafford and away to Sunderland, Burnley and Leicester, and if they want to get back on track they simply have to be better in those types of games.
Manchester United has two losses and five draws against teams below them in the standings, and if they had managed to secure wins in even four of those seven games, they would be right there with Manchester City competing for second place and jockeying for position behind Chelsea. Robin van Persie, Angel di Maria, Wayne Rooney, and Radamel Falcao are all fit and ready, so they’ll have to execute better against the weaker foes in the second half of the season than they did in the first half.
February Will Tell The Story Of United’s Season
Chelsea and Manchester City have pulled ahead by 10 points and five points respectively and with their recent run, even Southampton have pulled with a point of United for the third spot in the table. Just as concerning is the fact that Arsenal has closed the gap on fourth place, drawing even with Southampton. Tottenham, West Ham and Liverpool not far behind.
It wasn’t long ago that Manchester United seemed like a lock to make the Champions League and possibly contend for the top spot in the table. However, some early season disappointments have dragged them back to the pack. While they start the month in third place, they are still in a tenuous position as five points separates third to eight. The month of February sets up as a crucial one as United can either lift themselves into a race for the real hardware or drop themselves in to a place where they go home completely empty-handed.
