New Manchester United’s interim Manager, Michael Carrick, is a Champions League winner with the Red Devils in his 12 years sojourn at Old Trafford as a player.
But this evening, Carrick who has been put in temporary charge of United following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday, will realize that the pressure of a player is different from that of the manager whose table the buck stops.
Playing against the same Spanish team that denied Solskjaer the Europa League trophy the last term, thunder may strike two times tonight if Villarreal win the clash Group F game and third placed Atalanta defeat Young Boys by wide margin. Presently, both United and Villarreal are tied on seven points with third placed Atalanta on five. Defeat will leave United on same seven points while a draw lift them to eight points. Atalanta can match the eight points depending on the goal margin against the Swiss team.
Not only do United head to Spain without a manager, they are also without a win in three matches.
Since beating Villarreal at Old Traffordon 29 September thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 95th minute winner, the Red Devils have won just two matches out of eight.
If the top two teams are tied on points, points in head-to-head matches between the tied teams will be used to determine who finishes top.
Having already beaten Villarreal this season, United will qualify for the knockout stage if they win in Spain, or if both games in the group are drawn.
