Since January and right after the arrival of Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo, Manchester United started winning games and the victories so far now stand at 14. Heading to the match against Brighton on Tuesday, the Red Devils are raring to score win No. 15, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said it's even possible the club will close out the season and not lose again.
United had its share of long sequence and Solskjaer is only too happy to have a run under his name. He is brimming with confidence that the squad is fully capable of continuing the winning run but the players must overcome the most fearsome enemy - complacency.
"Complacency, that kicks you somewhere you don't want to get kicked in football and any game is a difficult one," the Norwegian boss told The Guardian.
He added that the players should stay focus and treat every game like it is their last. The ideal mentality is that no one is irreplaceable, which should prompt the roster to always perform at the top level.
Solskjaer said having the best in a match should not lead to the illusion that one gets some slack in the next fixture. Such an attitude will only lead to possible defeat and the boss said he will not hesitate to replace players who are not serious about the business of winning.
The coach warned he is always ready to strengthen and that also means a willingness to boot out the weakest links and bring in players with the hunger to succeed.
"We have to be better. We're too far away from where we need to be," Solskjaer said.
Forbes' Liam Canning agreed that United can wrap up the season strong and even gun for a Champions League spot. However, the Red Devils will need to solve a nagging issue, adding that inconsistency tends to pull down the squad.
Aiming high translates to playing smart, and for United that entails mustering "an edge and a level of consistency," yet to be seen in the season.
Upping their game is crucial for the Red Devils as they will need to overcome two teams to make the goal of playing in UCL matches next season secure. The Premier League table indicates United will need six points to get past both Chelsea and Leicester so the minimum target has to be three games to win and if possible never look back.
The league has about four weeks more of fixtures to come and it's imperative for United to step up on the productivity department. This will be easier now as both Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are back to their top form, and not to mention that the arrival of Fernandes and Ighalo injected the club the adrenaline it needed.
