CHRIS SMALLING says Manchester United's stars are playing for their own futures as well as shaping the destiny of manager Louis van Gaal.
 |
| Add caption |
Defender Smalling accepts that if results don't improve there could be big changes at Old Trafford in the summer, and not just the manager.
But he hopes the positive performance against Chelsea could prove the turning point in United's mid-season slump as well as underlining that the players are behind Van Gaal.
When it was suggested that sometimes this season it hasn't always looked that way, he said: "No, that's silly. If anything we are all playing for our own futures as well, so there's not a case of no one not playing for the manager.
"Every week we want to go out there and show everyone what a good team we are and on our day we can beat anyone.
"No matter what, whether it is good or bad, this club is always in the spotlight, and we've rolled our sleeves up, worked hard on the training field and had to make sure that we regrouped, especially after that loss against Stoke.
"Against Chelsea we stood up and showed that we were the better team, albeit we didn't get the win. You could tell everyone gave their all and we were driving for that win. You could see at the end of the match that there were a lot of tired players."
Van Gaal looked and sounded a broken man after United had suffered their fourth consecutive loss at Stoke at the weekend but he was lifted by the performance against Chelsea, although Smalling insists the Dutchman has always remained upbeat with the players.
"He has been himself from day one that we met him to how he is now," he added. "He is not going to change and that is why he has had a lot of success throughout the years. I can't ever see him changing because he's got a track record.
 |
| Chris Smalling has missed just one of Manchester United's 19 Premier League matches this campaign. |
"After the Stoke game it was difficult for much to be said and then on Sunday it was a case of turning our attentions straight to Chelsea. We were quite lucky we had another game straight after and that we could put it right."
Although United were held to their seventh goalless draw of the season - six of them have been at home - Smalling believes they can take plenty of positives from what was their best all-round display for several weeks.
"The performance was what we've been looking for," he said. "We will take confidence from the game. We caused Chelsea a lot of problems, especially when they played with a back four that barely moves and two defensive midfielders. So to create that amount of chances is a positive.
"A lot of players will take a lot of confidence from the fact that we are getting into those positions and causing teams a few troubles. People weren't afraid to get their shots away. On another day we would have taken those chances. It boils down to a bit of luck."
United have gone eight games without a win for the first time since 1989-90 but back-to-back home games against Swansea and League One Sheffield United in the FA Cup will give them the chance to end the dismal run.
"We needed the win because we want to stick at the top end of the table and when you dominate games like that you need to win them," he said. "But we will take the positives from this and really make sure that we get the win on Saturday.
"Now we have two games at home and hopefully this will give us that little boost that we can play well and kick on.
"Everyone needs a day or two to recover, especially after this busy period. Once we have recovered, then we can get our aim on Saturday and make sure we come back with the same energy and enthusiasm to get that goal."
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus