" I think people are being a little bit harsh on United at the moment, because they are in a good position. If they get into the top four, a few will have to recognise they've done better than people expected."
– Sunderland manager Gus Poyet
Ahead of their clash with Manchester United this weekend, Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has called upon his side to harness the spirit they used to win 1-0 at Old Trafford at the end of last season – a performance that helped save the Black Cats from the drop.
However, the Uruguyan expects a different encounter to the one in May, when the Reds fell to a 30th-minute Sebastian Larsson goal in the penultimate home game of the season.
“They were with Ryan Giggs as a caretaker [manager],” said Poyet. “We were playing for our lives. They were just trying to change a little bit at the end of the season to have something to cheer about. It will be a totally different game.”
Poyet believes his counterpart Louis van Gaal and United have received some undue criticism in sections of the media this term.
"I think people are being a little bit harsh on United at the moment because they are in a good position," he said. "They are in a process. Changing the style of play of a team that have been playing the same way for 20-plus years is difficult.
"They started winning during the process and, if they get into the top four, a few are going to have to recognise that they've done better than people expected. United have top-class players. We need to play our game the way we normally perform against the top teams – be difficult to beat, get around the ball, and then be clinical."
Poyet pointed to United’s finishing in the 3-1 home win over Burnley earlier this month – and his own side’s current lack of ruthlessness – as an area of concern.
“United didn’t play well against Burnley, but they scored [more] and that was the difference,” he said. “We create chances and we need to score them because that’s something we’re missing a little bit.”
