Robbo Hopes For Positive Start

Bryan Robson hopes Manchester United can build on a successful pre-season tour and kick off the campaign with positive results in what appear, on paper at least, to be winnable games.

The Reds face Swansea, Sunderland and West Ham - all of whom finished in the bottom half of the table last term - as well as newly-promoted Burnley, QPR and Leicester in the first two months of the season. It's a marked difference to last season’s fixture list which included meetings with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City during the same period.

Robson, who travelled with the first team throughout the tour of the United States, has been impressed by what he’s seen of the Reds under Louis van Gaal so far and says a strong start to 2014/15 would set United up nicely for a good season.

"On paper we have quite a nice start to the season which gives us a real chance to begin things well,” Robbo told ManUtd.com during the recent tour of the States.

“If the lads can produce the football that we know they can and we get good results early on then that gives everyone confidence before you get into the really tough games. If that happens I can see us having a really strong season.”

Van Gaal has already collected his first trophy as United manager, albeit in a friendly tournament on tour. Before next Saturday's opening Barclays Premier League game, the Reds host Valencia at Old Trafford for REUNITED 14 and Robson insists the manager clearly has a philosophy to treat every game with equal importance.

“He has always been a winner, you can tell that when you talk to him. Sir Alex was like that and the new manager has implemented that thinking into the players even for the friendly games on tour," explained the former midfielder.

“He’s quite forthright in what he wants but that’s good because the players then know exactly what he wants from them and exactly how he wants them to play. There are no grey areas and they can just get on with it.

“When you’re a top player it shouldn’t take you too long to pick up the ideas of a new manager – as a player at Manchester United you should be able to adapt to how a manager wants you to play and bring that into the team plan and your own game as well.

“The manager has been successful at some of the best clubs in Europe and it hasn’t taken him long to stamp his authority on those clubs and we hope he can have exactly the same effect here. And the kind of football he likes to play is exactly what’s suited to Manchester United. He likes his players to pass and move and play one and two-touch football. The players will enjoy that type of football and so will the fans.”