Where Will United Finish?

With Manchester United beginning their tough run-in with Tottenham's visit this weekend, we asked the Soccer Saturday pundits where Louis van Gaal's men will finish this season.

United host Spurs, who they have failed to beat in their last five meetings, before facing Liverpool (A), Aston Villa (H), Manchester City (H) and Chelsea (A).

Van Gaal's side currently sit fourth and are marginally odds-on to secure a top-four finish at 10/11 with Sky Bet, but all four pundits suspect that this pivotal run will see them slip out of the Champions League qualification places.

Charlie says…

"I’ve said it all along; they’re just not good enough to get in the top four. They’ve got some incredibly tough games and I can’t see them picking up enough points.

"The players don’t look like they’re enjoying themselves, it looks like they are always playing with fear and even Rooney looks confused.

"If Spurs don’t lose at Old Trafford this weekend then I think they will finish above United as well, and if United don’t win then the players will start looking at Van Gaal and asking questions.

"It will be incredibly tough to turn things around if they miss out on the Champions League again, not just in terms of money but also for their profile and attracting players."

Charlie's verdict: Fifth at best

Le Tiss says…

"Given the fixtures they’ve got, their season is probably defined by the next five games.

"If they can rack up enough points from those five, then they should almost guaranteed a top-four finish.

"However, I’d be surprised if they came out with a significant points haul from that run, given how inconsistent they have been and the defensive frailties we’ve seen this season.

"Based on United’s tough fixtures and not just optimism, I’m going for them to finish sixth with Southampton in fifth."

Le Tiss' verdict: United behind Saints in sixth

Thommo says…

"The big thing is, this is a massive five games and we’ll have a fair idea after that where they'll finish. At the moment, though, given their defensive problems, they’re looking like they’ll slip out of the top four.

"Robin van Persie being injured puts a lot of reliance on Wayne Rooney to drag them through.

"Antonio Valencia at right-back just sums up the situation. You can get away with it for a while but not all the time, especially when none of the centre-back partnerships are working.

"Liverpool and Arsenal will finish in the top four for me and I think Manchester City will get dragged back into the equation, with a close battle between the three for second place."

Thommo's verdict: Arsenal and Liverpool to pull away with United left behind in fifth

Merse says…

"Manchester United can’t keep doing what they’re doing, surely?

"If Manchester United lose against Tottenham, then they can say goodbye to their top-four chances. They’ve have got some tough games to come. Louis van Gaal doesn’t know his best 11 yet and United don’t know who their best manager is.

"I don’t think they can say confidently ‘he’s the man’ – not after what I’ve been watching the last seven months."

Merse's verdict: Top-four hopes over if they lose to Spurs

Credit: Skysports.com