Manchester United ‘have to give everything to win a trophy’

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 10: David de Gea of Manchester United in action during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on March 10, 2016 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 10: David de Gea of Manchester United in action during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on March 10, 2016 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images) /
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The FA Cup quarterfinals move to Old Trafford when the Red Devils take on West Ham on Sunday.

Coming off the massively disappointing result against Liverpool, the Manchester United players are hoping the FA Cup will provide a swift turnaround.

As a whole, the Red Devils had a dreadful performance against their Premier League rivals in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg. If David de Gea hadn’t made numerous spectacular saves, Manchester United could have lost the game by four or five goals. It’s a harsh reality, but Louis van Gaal’s team might be in the bottom half of the League if not for the limitless heroics of one of the world’s best goalkeepers.

Despite his impressive individual display, de Gea has already turned his attention to beating West Ham and moving on to the FA Cup semi-finals, which would take place at Wembley next month. Speaking to MUTV, the Spanish international said:

"“To play there is a really good experience, as it is a stadium with a lot of history of big games and trophies – hopefully we will be there. For a club like Manchester United, we always try to win everything. We have to give everything to win a trophy and that’s what we want – we’ll try to do our best to win a trophy and make it a good season.”“We know West Ham are a really good team, but we have to win to reach Wembley to be in the semi-final, and I think it’s a good moment to win this game.”"

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De Gea is certainly correct that the timing is right for progression into the next round of the Cup, as supporters are desperate for a moment of pride in their beloved Manchester United. Perhaps more importantly, a superb performance against the Hammers could boost team morale ahead of the crucial second leg of the Europa League, giving the squad enough of a jolt to dig themselves out of the hole they created in the first leg.

Marouane Fellaini, after returning from injury to face Liverpool in Thursday’s match, believes his side can do just that:

"“We didn’t do [enough] against Liverpool, but now we have to focus on the next game.We have a big game against West Ham in the FA Cup [on Sunday] before a second challenge against Liverpool. That game is not finished, we’re playing at home in front of our own supporters next Thursday and we simply have to score two goals.”"

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The concern with the Belgian’s statements is that he may be looking past the match-up with West Ham to the next meeting with Liverpool. Make no mistake, winning the Europa League has to be the biggest priority for Manchester United this season, but delivering a trophy would be an immense bonus.

Of course, all of this is based on the assumption that United can even beat the Hammers, and looking at what we’ve seen against previous teams with attacking ability, the Red Devils could be in trouble. Additionally, considering current position in the Premier League table, Manchester United might be viewed as the underdog, even with the match at Old Trafford.

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Unfortunately for van Gaal’s team, under-performing against West Ham on Sunday could have dire implications for the rest of the season. Just as a win could propel Manchester United back into good form and possibly into the next round of the Europa League, a loss could force their exit and hang Champions League play next season on a thread.