Cole: United Must Make Winning Start In 2015/16

Five-time title winner Andy Cole has called on Manchester United to produce a winning start to the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League season - regardless of what the fixtures computer draws out this week.

Reds supporters around the world will have eyes on ManUtd.com at exactly 09:00 BST on Wednesday to discover who United will face on the opening day of the new campaign, before mapping out the months ahead and the many challenges at hand.

Louis van Gaal has already revealed his frustration at registering just 13 points from the opening 10 matches last season, and the boss is determined to improve this time around. Cole agrees United must make a positive start if winning the title is a realistic ambition.

“You have always got to start the season strongly,” Cole exclusively told ManUtd.com. “We can all moan and groan about fixtures, playing here and playing there, but you have to play all of the games regardless of when they are.

"It doesn't matter if you get drawn the tough games early doors because you have got to win those tough games. If you get them later on, then you still have to win them. To win the title you have to win football matches, it's as simple as that. We will just have to wait and see.”

A regular talking point surrounding the fixture list is which opponent United fans look for first, with matches against Liverpool and Manchester City often ranked in different orders. So who does Cole search for first, and are players concerned about the fixture list?

“I think you are always looking out for the big games against the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, and at what stage of the season you are playing them,” he told us.

“However you look at it, those games are going to be paramount come the end of the season. Hopefully your season is going really well and when you do play them, you can be in good form. But I don’t think you are really fussed which team you get first.

"You want to get a home game. You always want to start at home, have a good positive result and then go from there. You never know what the fixtures computer will throw up or when the games will be, but if you are in good form then you don’t mind who you play.”