Four Fronts In February

February may be short but Manchester United will compete on four fronts before it draws to a close...

PREMIER LEAGUE

Saturday's Old Trafford meeting with Watford will remarkably be the club's last Premier League fixture of the month with the next top-flight encounter not falling until 4 March (Bournemouth at home). The Hornets will be buoyed by recent wins against Arsenal and Burnley but United are on a mission to finally break into the top four after spending so long in sixth spot, despite an impressive unbeaten run.

With Liverpool facing Tottenham at Saturday teatime, points will be dropped and it is up to Jose Mourinho's side to capitalise, particularly after the frustrating stalemate with Hull City last time out at Old Trafford. To be fair, the much-improved Tigers have since beaten Liverpool and can do United another favour when meeting Arsenal at the weekend.

EUROPA LEAGUE

So, once the Reds have tried again to push towards a Champions League spot, league matters will be on hold for the club, even if the action still comes thick and fast. European football returns to the Theatre of Dreams next Thursday, 16 February, when Saint-Etienne head over the Channel to play at the famous stadium for the first time in their history. When the clubs met English soil on in 1977, United's home leg was played at Plymouth, following crowd trouble in France.

The following Wednesday sees an early start - 17:00 GMT - for the second leg at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard and United will of course be aiming to progress, given a Champions League spot is on offer to the tournament winners. Les Verts' form has improved in Ligue 1 and they defeated local rivals Lyon last weekend. Hence, it won't be easy against a side that has moved up to fifth spot in Le Championnat but it's another trip and experience the players and fans will relish.

EMIRATES FA CUP

The fifth-round draw was manna from heaven for the club's away supporters, who give up their time and money to follow the Reds on the road. A large ticket allocation will ensure there's a vocal backing when United visit Blackburn Rovers on 19 February for the sort of tie that thrills match-going fans and evokes memories of some fabulous Ewood Park moments, like the absolutely vital late goal by Carlos Tevez in 2008 and the title-clinching 1-1 draw three years later.

The Championship ground will be rocking for the 16:15 GMT kick-off and the short trip from Manchester will make it the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. A place in the last eight of the competition awaits and the holders should not be deterred by the fact the fifth-round draw kept apart all of the top-flight sides left in the Cup.

EFL CUP

The final game of the month is a final - in the EFL Cup against another set of Saints, as Southampton provide the opposition at Wembley. Many neutrals expected Liverpool to set up a clash on 26 February but the Merseysiders were beaten 1-0 in both legs in January and there is no denying the right of Claude Puel's charges to compete for the trophy as they have yet to concede a goal in the competition.

When Mourinho was appointed manager last year, he made it clear he wanted "everything". After lifting the Community Shield in August, the EFL Cup is the next piece of silverware available. The supporters who manage to visit Lancashire, the Loire region and Brent in the space of a week may end up just as exhausted as the players but it will all be worth it if United can keep on track for a successful first season of the manager's reign.

The Saints, on the other hand, have a 15-day break after their game this Saturday at Sunderland. Yet ask any Red which schedule they would prefer as we approach the business end of the season and, with such an exciting programme to anticipate, it would be no contest.