Our season could be over this week: Edwin
With champions Chelsea due at Old Trafford next Sunday the Red Devils could be vulnerable to a slight lack of focus for the trips to Middlesbrough today and Paris for Wednesday’s Champions League encounter with Lille.
But the veteran Dutch [keeper has left his United team-mates in no doubt anything other than two victories will turn the visit of Chelsea into an irrelevance in the chase for major honours.
“The season is going to stand or fall on our two results this week,’ said Van der Sar.
“There is already a gap between ourselves and Chelsea, so that will only be an important game if we beat Middlesbrough. If we don’t, it will be very difficult for us to do something.
“We still have a lot to play for and we are still only at the end of October but we need to get higher in the table because where we are just now is not good enough for Manchester United.”
United have only won one of their four home matches so far this season, which is unusual for a side who used to be so formidable at home. “It is an unusual situation because you would normally expect to get more points at home than you would away,’ van der Sar said.
“I suppose the one thing we can say is if we improve our home form and keep our away record going then we can definitely do a little bit more than we have done so far.” After so many injuries over the past few weeks, Ferguson is in the happier position of being able to welcome two players back this weekend.
England international duo Wes Brown and Kieran Richardson both came through the Carling Cup win over Barnet unscathed and are added to a travelling party that is again lacking luckless striker Louis Saha, who pulled up with a hamstring injury on Tuesday.
However, the injury is thought not to be serious. “There was a little bit of fluid but nothing serious,’ revealed Alex Ferguson.
“Maybe we did rush it a little bit because he has been out for a while and was keen to get back.”
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