Manchester United are fighting to qualify for the Champions League next season although they have been told that they are not favourites to finish in the top five.
Michael Carrick has had the perfect start to life at Manchester United this month, with two impressive victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Reds are now currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table although there is little to separate them from the chasing pack.
Following on from the Champions League group stages, it is very likely that England will receive a fifth spot for Europe’s elite competition once again.
That will make it easier for United to qualify for the Champions League but Alan Shearer is still doubtful that the Reds will finish in those spots.
United told they are NOT favourites to qualify for UCL
Shearer has explained why he does not expect United to finish in the top five this term, with the main reason being the competition from other teams.
“I wouldn’t go that far yet to say Manchester United are favourites to get Champions League football next season,” he told Betfair.
“As impressed as I have been, and everyone’s been with the two results, I think when you look at Man City, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Chelsea have had a bounce. Liverpool are in that position, but they’ve been dreadful defensively so there’s still a big ask for Man United.
“It’s a big if, but If they do keep up what we’ve seen so far, then absolutely, we can speak about them being one of the favourites. But at the minute, there’s still a lot of teams ahead of them.”
United have clear advantage
While United fans should definitely not get over-confident after two good results, there is a huge advantage that Shearer didn’t mention.
The Reds are only playing once a week for the rest of the season while all of their competitors are fighting on multiple fronts.
That can be significant when you enter into the busy period of the season, and United are fresher than many of their rivals.
It is not a given that United will be back in the Champions League next season, but if they can prove that they can keep performing against the likes of Fulham, many will consider them favourites.
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