Sir Alex: This period is vital
Sir Alex Ferguson believes his United side are entering a "vital period" after suffering from a succession of big-name injuries that threatens to upset the Reds' recent run of form.
Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra will all miss Saturdays encounter with Bolton, and with Jonny Evans and Carlos Tevez also due for late fitness tests, Sir Alex is well aware that United must see through a tough spell.
This next few weeks is probably the most important period for us to get through, he said.
If we get through that, we know that by the Everton game Ferdinand will be back, Brown will be back. The following week, Evra and Rooney should be back. Then youre talking about approaching the middle of February with a full squad of players.
The Reds boss may have to call on Gary Neville or even reserve team captain James Chester to partner Nemanja Vidic for the visit to Bolton, where a win would see United overtake Liverpool and at the league's summit.
Weve been chasing Liverpool for a while now, Sir Alex added. Their early form has been terrific. If we can make up our games in hand then were top, or second top at least. My players have done well to get there having gone to Japan and then travelling back and getting the results we did.
Though United may now be feeling the effects of the rearranged Wigan game in midweek, the Reds boss is focused on what is perhaps a pivotal moment in the title campaign. This period now is vital to us, he said. It is important to select the right team, and hope that the injuries do not get to a point that is going to affect us and affect our results.
In light of Uniteds injury concerns, Sir Alex would settle for another clean sheet and a 1-0 victory at the Reebok. I would beg for it, plea for it, he joked.
Victory would send United top of the league, which Sir Alex says is definitely an incentive to his players. It is, but the bigger incentive is to win the league, he said. If we get a win against Bolton, it puts us in a good position for the run-in.
"Being top of the league is the best place to be. It doesnt matter if its the first game of the season or the 20th. The best place to be is top, and hopefully we can get there.
United's away form certainly must improve in the second half of the season. Compared to the other sides in the top four, the Reds' away form is lacking. Liverpool have taken 24 points, Chelsea 26, and Aston Villa 21. By comparison, United have collected just 16 points, albeit from one game fewer than Chelsea and Liverpool.
You would hope our away form would have been better, added the boss. But weve had a lot of difficult away games. The run-in will hopefully balance it out better for us. But the away games we have got are all tough. In the run-in, we have to find a consistency that gets us a better return on our away form. If we do that it will definitely give us a chance.
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