Herrera Sets Short-term Goal For United

Ander Herrera feels Manchester United are targeting second spot in the coming weeks and there are "no excuses" for not beating Hull City in Wednesday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford.

The Tigers may have recorded a 2-1 triumph over Jose Mourinho's men in the EFL Cup last week, even if it failed to prevent the Reds from reaching Wembley, but the midfielder accepts the onus is on the home side to secure three points in front of an expectant Old Trafford crowd.

Following Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Liverpool, the Blues are 15 points clear of United and, although nobody at the club would ever throw in the towel relating to the title race, the immediate ambition is on moving from sixth to second spot.

"It's Hull at this moment and we have an obligation to win if we want to be in the top four," Herrera told tonight's United Review, the official matchday programme. "It's going to be tough. It always is.
Every Premier League game is tough. But we’re at home, we feel strong and good in front of our own fans and we want to win. I’ll say it again, no excuses – we want to be in the top four as soon as possible.

"At the moment, Chelsea are many points ahead and, to be honest, we have to think about second place right now. I’m not saying we have to think about second place for the rest of the season, just right now. We’re six points behind second spot and, in the Premier League, anything can happen in two weeks. Any team could be second, third or sixth.

"We must win against Hull and not think about the rest or the next game. We just need to win and try to get into the top four as soon as possible, but we should have our minds focused on the fact that we can be in second place soon.

"Time will tell," he continued. "If we keep playing the way we are doing – for example against Stoke we had 25 goal attempts – I think there is no doubt we will get the results. If we are the dominant team and play in their half, we don’t concede chances. Sooner or later, I believe in the fairness of football so, normally, the team who does everything to win, finally, they will get the results. Bad luck is just one moment or two moments, not forever."