The idea that Manchester United fans WANT their team to lose on Wednesday has become an enduring theme in recent months.
They would rather be relegated than hand the title to Liverpool , the incessant narrative goes, even if the notion has become not just redundant, but ridiculous in the past week.
Manchester City ’s stars know that. They have heard the stories their derby opponents will be urged to roll over, they have been told in the street by so-called United fans they will be blues for a night.
Yet whatever their fans want, after the horrific humiliation at Barca and Everton , Old Trafford careers are on the line, from the manager to virtually all the squad.
For City defender Kyle Walker, whilst the talk of opposition fans has been bizarre, he is still expecting only one reaction. “United fans are in a difficult situation obviously,” he said with a smile.
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“When I’m out and about or walking my dogs, United fans are coming up to me saying ‘we’d rather City win the league than Liverpool’.
“It’s strange to hear but I can assure you the United players aren’t going to leave a red carpet and say ‘go on City, score past us’.
“They’re going to make it difficult because it’s a game of football and they’re fighting for the top four as well so they need the points.”
It is more than the top four. Solskjaer finds himself undoubtedly under pressure less than four weeks after being appointed permanent manager. His inability to inspire a clearly unmotivated squad is genuinely alarming.
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United can’t even contemplate a repeat of Sunday’s pathetic display at Goodison. And their players are the first to admit it.
Juan Mata, who was an unused sub against both Barcelona and Everton hinted at a malaise within the squad that must be addressed. In a post on his blog entitled ‘Honouring the shirt’ he wrote: “Just words aren’t enough. There is only one way forward, to give everything for this shirt, for this club and for all of you.”
Skipper at Goodison David De Gea went a step further, when he bluntly told his team-mates the standard simply wasn’t good enough for a United team, and a reaction was compulsory.
“As captain, I want to say that the performance of he team today was not up to the standard expected when you pull on this shirt.
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“We know that we have to improve but words mean little: we have to give everything for this club.”
Walker will not be deceived. He saw last season what pride in the United jersey can inspire, when their derby rivals prevented a title party for City at the Etihad with a shock comeback to win 3-2 there.
And he expects a similar response. “Obviously we could have won it against them last season and they scored a couple of good goals and got the victory.
“That was prob what every United fan wanted, with City not winning the title at the Etihad against United.
“But it’s one for the fans and it’s one for us to get closer to being the Premier League champions.”
