“They are the only team…”: Ex-United ace outlines why CL qualification is still possible

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes that the club can secure a top-four finish this season. The Red Devils are seventh in the Premier League table after 21 matches this campaign, just three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool. It has been a season of ups and downs so far for United, who parted ways with Ruben Amorim earlier this month and appointed Darren Fletcher as interim manager. Recent reports suggest that the Premier League giants want to appoint a caretaker manager for the rest of the season, with Michael Carrick the favourite for the role. The season so far United exited the EFL Cup in the second round this season, losing to minnows Grimsby Town. Last weekend, they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Brighton & Hove Albion, who secured a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are not playing in Europe this season after finishing 15th in the Premier League last campaign and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. As things stand, United will only play 40 games this campaign, their lowest tally of games in a season since the 1914/15 campaign. TournamentGames PlayedGames WonGames DrawnGames LostGoals ScoredGoals Conceded Premier League218853632 EFL Cup100122 FA Cup100112 Total238873936 Source: Wikipedia. There is a fear that this could generate a lack of motivation among players, further adding to the turmoil at the club. However, Hargreaves believes that a top-four finish is still up for grabs for his former club. Hargreaves backs top-four push Speaking on TNT Sports, Hargreaves said: “They are only three points off fourth; they should get Champions League football.” “They are the only team in there that doesn’t have any European competition. They’ve got one game a week, they can be well rested, they can work on things on the training pitch. I genuinely believe they should.” The former England midfielder went on to state that United’s biggest problem is their tendency to concede goals. He said: “They have enough firepower; they are the third-highest scorers.” “They concede too many goals. That is the biggest issue they have. So, going to a back four might help. But I do think they have the personnel to finish in the top five, and I think they should with the personnel they have.” Final Thoughts United’s season has gone from bad to worse since the turn of the year, and fans are understandably frustrated with recent developments. However, the Red Devils cannot afford to miss out on a top-four finish this campaign, as it could have a significant impact on their summer plans. Feature image Stu Forster via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.