United are back at home on Saturday afternoon with Wimbledon the visitors, and assistant manager Gav Skelton insisted that current form counts for nothing at this early stage of the season when he spoke to the press ahead of the game at his Thursday press conference.
“They have some really good players, they’re really lively up top and they have players with real pedigree,” he said. “We’ve watched footage and we’ve some really good bits from them over the start of the season, and we’re very aware of their threats.
“We’ll respect the opposition but it’s down to what we do on the day. If we’re ready and at it, and positive and on the front foot, then we’re hard to deal with. We’ve seen that, so let’s do it again here at home.”
“You do get to know as much about the opponent as you can, and we have Jacob our analyst doing a lot of work in the build up to the game, so we’re well aware of them and what they can do,” he continued. “It’s like any game, if we don’t turn up and perform then it doesn’t really matter what you know about the other team because you’re gifting it to them.
“That’s why we have to be right and, if we are, it’s very likely we’ll get a result. But you do obviously look at where they will try to affect the game as well.
“I think the front players are a real threat, they’ve got experience and pedigree right through the group. We’ll respect that and like most teams they’ll be thinking they should have more points for the performances than they’ve currently got.
“But, like I say, you try to take care of yourself. If you don’t do that you set yourself up. We respect them, we’re aware of their dangers, but it is about us. We’re at home, so we have to be on that front foot, be positive and take the game to them.”
Always key is the way both teams start from the moment the first whistle is blown.
“You can talk about it and wait and see or you can leave the subject, we’ve done it from both sides and had different starts to games this season,” he said. “It can become a bit of thing if you go on too much, but the players know that it makes a difference.
“If we’re in the right frame of mind, and if we prepare properly mentally and before the game, then we should start well. Being at home you want to start well.
“If we don’t then we have to look for reasons why, and that’s not just the players. They’ve taken ownership, but as a group of staff we also have to look at what we do and how we can help.
“We have the ceremony for the Queen ahead of this one, and I don’t think that affects the players. I actually think it helps to focus the mind.
“Rather than take your mind off the game it can add an element of focus. Obviously in terms of living history this is a massive, massive thing, and it has to be done properly, and it’s absolutely the right thing to do.
“In a good way it was nice to reflect ahead of kick off on Tuesday night on everything that’s gone on in the past few days, and it’ll be the same on Saturday.”
Really positive this season has been the backing from the fans, both home and away.
“It’s a massive help, and I know it can sound corny if you keep saying that,” he told us. “If they’re right behind you it makes such a difference.
“It gives the players more energy and confidence, and I thought they really stayed with us in the last home game, which was vital.
“When you go two goals behind it could easily have been tricky, but they stayed with us and that was a big part of the players getting back into it.
“Although we’ve had a reasonably decent start, we’re not all firing yet, hopefully the performances are showing we’re ready to fire and that can start Saturday. The crowd are massive – not just getting behind us to drive us on to a win, which is important, but staying with us when it’s not going our way as well.
“We’ve seen in recent seasons that if things don’t go well it can turn and it becomes a difficult place to play. But the crowd are really sticking with us and it’s huge to know that.”
And a win on Saturday will make this a good week in terms of results and points picked up.
“It will make it a good week, but, let’s not forget, we’ve got to do the winning part,” he commented. “It’ll never change, if you win the game it makes everything - and I know it sounds selfish, but it makes life seem a bit easier, your home life is better, everything is better.
“We’re no different from fans with that, we feel it the same way. But Wimbledon aren’t coming here to lose. They’ve got really good pedigree in attacking areas, their front three, front four, whatever they play.
“They’ve got some really good quality, a lot of games under their belt and experience. Sometimes, as we feel, they’ve been unlucky in games and should have had more points, I’m sure they’re no different.
“We want the result for ourselves, it builds confidence among the supporters, it should build confidence among the players as well. We want more of that.”
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