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Manchester United stars are now 'playing for their futures' Manchester United stars are now 'playing for their futures'
(35 minutes later)
Darren Fletcher admits he and his Manchester United team-mates are now playing for their futures. Darren Fletcher admits that Manchester United's reputation has been damaged by a dismal season, with players now fighting for their careers at the club as David Moyes prepares for a summer overhaul.
United bowed out of the Champions League on Wednesday night with a 3-1 defeat that sent Bayern Munich through to the semi-finals 4-2 on aggregate. Having been knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by Bayern Munich and lying seventh in the Premier League, United are facing the likelihood of not being in Europe's top competition next season for the first time in 19 years.
United's season is now effectively over. There is little hope they will be able to bridge the seven-point gap that separates them from fourth place given that just five matches remain. But the players who have let the club down in what has been a very disappointing campaign must not allow their season simply to fizzle out, according to Fletcher. Moyes's side still have a Europa League spot to play for. Yet while seventh place would qualify them if Arsenal win the FA Cup and finish fifth or sixth, Fletcher believes the personal stakes are far higher.
David Moyes will embark upon a multimillion-pound rebuilding scheme over the summer. The Scot has already held discussions with targets who he says are keen to come to Old Trafford despite United's failure to qualify for Europe's top club competition. Current players will have to be moved out to accommodate the new arrivals so Fletcher knows places are up for grabs. "It is time to show the manager that you deserve to be at this club," Fletcher said. "If you get a chance to play, you have to go and impress the manager and show him that you are capable of being here next year. Go and put in performances because the manager will be thinking of next season, no doubt about that. You have to make sure that you are one of the names that he still wants."
"The boys have got to play well to stay in the manager's thoughts for next season," the United midfielder said. "There is talk of a lot of changes so if you get an opportunity to play you have to go out there and perform and to show the manager that you want to be at United, that you are capable of being at United and you are good enough. Fletcher is clear this should not make it difficult for the squad to be motivated until the close of the season. "Personally, not for me, and I think everyone should have that mindset. You have to go out to try to win every game and finish as high up the league as possible."
"A lot of people will say there isn't a lot to play for now, but there is – you are playing for personal pride and to be in the squad for next season." Fletcher agreed that the insipid championship defence that has left United 17 points behind Liverpool, the leaders, had hurt the reputation of the club and players. "We now have five or six league games left with nothing really to play for. That is a unique experience for us and we are disappointed and hurting but we have to go into these games and we have to win them."
As the United squad filed out of the Allianz Arena late on Wednesday, the disappointment of exiting the Champions League was clear. The 3-1 score line looks comprehensive, but Patrice Evra's opener gave the Manchester United players and fans hope that this would be another night like 1999. Moyes is intent on rebuilding the squad. Nemanja Vidic will definitely leave to join Internazionale, the futures of Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra are in the balance, and other players may depart.
But there was another reason for the disappointment – the knowledge that there would not be another night like for at least one season. Unless United win all their games and their rivals all suffer dramatic collapses, the Red Devils will not be in the Champions League draw next season for the first time since 1995. Fletcher said of the manager: "He will definitely look back on this season and realise it was a disappointment but I fully expect there to be some signings. People expect signings in the summer, there is no doubt about that, but that is always the case at Manchester United."
Fletcher has seen United reach three Champions League finals during his 14-year spell at the club, so the idea of not being among Europe's elite does not sit well with the proud midfielder. Moyes insists that being out of the Champions League will not put off elite players from joining. "We're looking to spend the right money on players who are available and it's not anything to do with the Champions League," the Scot said. "Any players we've quietly discussed it with are more than happy to join Manchester United. They know it's not a long-term thing."
"Watching the Champions League [on television] next year will be difficult to take," the Scot said. "We are used to playing in it all my career. This will be the first time we are not there. Moyes has drawn criticism for the team's poor campaign but Fletcher refused to blame him. "We lose as a team," the midfielder said. "It is a situation that everybody is affected by, not just one person, player, manager or anyone. We stick together as a club and we win and lose as a club and a squad."
"Hopefully the biggest thing that can do is give you more determination to get back in it. It is the pinnacle of club football and Manchester United need to be in this competition. Patrice Evra's 57th-minute goal gave United a 2-1 aggregate lead at Bayern Munich on Wednesday that was held for only 22 seconds following the restart as Mario Mandzukic headed past David de Gea. Further strikes from Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben put the holders into the Champions League semi-finals, 4-2 on aggregate.
"As a player it's the best feeling to play in the stadiums like the Allianz Arena against top quality sides. We have had success in it in the past and I am sure we will in the future." Yet Fletcher does not believe the difference in quality between the two sides is great. "I don't think we are as far away as some people think. I think we showed that over the two legs. The club will always look to bring in top players and improve the squad and whoever the manager brings in, they will hopefully help us bridge that gap."
The need for defensive reinforcements was clear on Wednesday as Bayern equalised Patrice Evra's opener just 22 seconds after the restart. Moyes needs to sign at least one centre-half, along with possibly two full-backs. The midfield needs a ball winner and a creative playmaker while the lack of width also needs to be addressed. Those deficiencies are some of the reasons why United are 17 points behind the Premier League leaders, Liverpool. Fletcher is unsure whether playing in the Europa League might hinder United's quest to re-establish themselves at the top of English football. "The goal next season will be to win the Premier League, not merely to finish in the top four," he said. "It would maybe make that challenge easier not being in the Europa League but there are two ways of looking at it. I am sure the club would rather be in it."
As a man who is used to success at every level, Fletcher wants United to bounce back in style next year – by winning the Premier League. "Next year we won't just think about getting in to the Champions League, we will think about winning the league and getting into Europe that way," the 30-year-old said.
"The gap is not as big as people think."We have some fantastic players. There will be some signings too and hopefully they can take us to where we want to be."
The idea of trips to far-flung places in eastern Europe may not appeal to many, but Fletcher thinks United should not turn their noses up at the idea of playing Europa League football. "We should embrace it," he said. "Let's go and win it."