Evra demands title glory after Euro flop

Last updated : 17 March 2012 By AFP

United slipped out of the Europa League with a 5-3 aggregate defeat to Atletic Bilbao on Thursday and the league is now all they have to go for.

They were knocked out of the Champions League in the first round for just the third time in their history, after failing to win any of four games against Benfica and Basel.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side were also beaten by Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round and dumped out of the League Cup by Championship side Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.

At least their league form has been imperious. The draw they earned in coming from three goals down to draw 3-3 at Chelsea in February was the only Premier League match they have failed to win in eight matches since their 3-0 defeat at Newcastle at the start of the year.

Sunday's trip to struggling Wolves offers the chance to move four points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who host resurgent Chelsea on Wednesday.

French defender Evra claims United must take their opportunity to retain their league title.

"A big club like Manchester United should be able to compete in every competition but now we have no choice, we have to focus on the league," he said.

"We have to win the league to save our season. If we don't win the league, it will have been a really bad season.

"I'm not worried about the league because we are playing well and now we are top, in front of Manchester City.

"After (Bilbao) we go home and rest, then focus on Wolves because it's a big game, a massive game and we have to make sure we win.

"We didn't start well in Europe this year - maybe we were too confident at the beginning of the Champions League - and this is the end now.

"We are out again and we have to be honest with ourselves, we don't deserve to be in the Champions League or the Europa League.

"We haven't played in Europe this season with the same desire that we have in the league. We can see the difference in the league - we are top, and we are more focused on the league, we have to tell the truth. I don't know why that is."

Phil Jones could return after missing the 2-1 defeat in Bilbao with flu but midfielder Anderson is facing at least a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.

Antonio Valencia is close to a return from his own hamstring injury, while Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher are long-term absentees.

Wolves manager Terry Connor has urged his players to shut out the air of negativity which has recently engulfed the club.

The Molineux club find themselves in the bottom three after disappointing defeats against Fulham and Blackburn, the latter leading to protests by fans against the board after the match.

"Did we go down last year, or the year before?" said Connor. "Did people have that same psyche then of: 'We're going to go down'?

"Is that the same psyche we're seeing now: 'drop into the bottom three and that's them gone'?

"We're in the same group every year. But that's why we're here working - to get out of it. That's part and parcel of our job which is to get ourselves above that dotted line.

"Other people have their own opinions. I can't affect that. All we can affect is what we do here. And for two years, for all the outside psyche, that hasn't influenced what we've believed here."

Karl Henry misses out with a hamstring injury, while Stephen Hunt has an outside chance of being involved after recovering from a hernia problem.

Source: AFP

Source: AFP