Albiston: Reds Must Dig Deep

Manchester United legend Arthur Albiston is calling on the current players to dig deep when they return to action for a set of testing fixtures in March.

The Reds’ next outing is away to West Bromwich Albion, but Albiston, who moved to the Hawthorns in 1988 after more than a decade at Old Trafford, predicts United will have to cope with a stern test from the Baggies despite their lowly position in the Barclays Premier League.

“It will be difficult enough,” said Albiston. “West Brom are fighting for their lives, they can’t get a result and they have a new manager so they will be desperate to get a win. Knowing what it’s like to play down there, they have a proper football crowd and they are right on top of the pitch and they get right behind their team.

"So it’s a tough one to start the run of games. We’ve got four games at home after that in March so it is vital we get off to a good start down at The Hawthorns.

“Then we have Liverpool and Manchester City, and of course their away fans will be vociferous, but that will get our crowd going. You don’t need anything to get up for those games so if we get a positive result in the first game against West Brom hopefully that can carry us through the next spate of games. Fingers crossed we get a result next week.”

In between the visits of Liverpool and City comes the return leg against Olympiacos in the Champions League, but Arthur is adamant the Reds can overturn the two-goal disadvantage at a packed Old Trafford.

“Although it was a hugely disappointing result and performance the other night, I saw enough of Olympiacos to tell me they are not fantastic. Their goalkeeper looked a little bit shaky on a few crosses, and the defence wasn’t really tested. It's different playing here at Old Trafford.

“There will be 75,000 fans willing the ball to go into the net, and under the floodlights it is always different in a midweek match. So as poor as we played the other night, I still think we can get through this tie with a little bit of luck.”

Albiston experienced plenty of highs and lows in the course of nearly 500 games as a United player and he feels a change in fortunes in March will start with the squad giving everything to the cause once it reconvenes following the midweek international fixtures.

“All you can do is give 100 per cent, show the fans you care for the result and you're trying everything to get a win.

"Everybody’s in it together. It’s not the individual that will win the game: collectively you have got to stick together and dig in.

“There are no better games to play in than Liverpool and Manchester City. Both are great games and hopefully the players will respond to that.”

United's March fixtures

08 – West Brom (A)
16 – Liverpool (H)
19 – Olympiacos (H)
22 – West Ham (A)
25 – Manchester City (H)
29 – Aston Villa (H)