Lindegaard: Onus Is On Us

Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard feels that Swansea City will provide a tough test when the clubs meet at Old Trafford in the FA Cup today.

The Reds clinched a commanding 4-1 away victory against Michael Laudrup’s side on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League season, but Lindegaard believes the result did not reflect the difficult challenge the champions faced in Wales.

"The first game of the season wasn’t easy, despite the fact we won 4-1,” he told United Review, the official match programme. “That scoreline makes it sound quite comfortable but my take on the game was we took our chances and they didn’t.

“I think we expect to see typical Michael Laudrup football from Swansea on Sunday – playing the ball out from the back and trying to have lots of possession. We know we need to perform well to beat them.”

The Swans will visit the Theatre of Dreams again when the league action resumes next Saturday, and Lindegaard believes the onus is on United to emerge victorious in both fixtures.

“I think you’ll see two similar games actually, between two teams who have a clear football philosophy," stated Lindegaard. "They’re both at Old Trafford which means there are no excuses for us – we have to win both matches.”

It’s almost a decade since the Reds last won the FA Cup and Lindegaard revealed how keen the squad are to end the wait.

“An FA Cup winners' medal is the only club medal missing for a lot of the players in the squad and I could see how much it meant to them after we lost to Chelsea [in last season's quarter-final]. It’s a trophy we really want to win this season.”