Leicester v Man Utd: 'Disappointment' if Foxes miss top four - Brendan Rodgers
- by Florence Jennings
- in Sport
- — Jul 26, 2020
Manchester United are gearing up to take on Leicester City in a match that will essentially define their season and potentially decide the fate of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Leicester were a constant in the top four since September but a poor run of form since the restart last month has led to Rodgers' side dropping to fifth following a 3-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in their penultimate game.
"There is a difference where we want to be in the Champions League, but when you're a club like Manchester United, there's a need to be in the Champions League", Rodgers told reporters. "We want to go there and try and win the game". That has changed a bit since Fernandes arrived but with several of United's star attackers looking jaded - most noticeably Rashford, Fernandes and Paul Pogba - it is up to Solskjaer to get them focused for one more game.
"What they have done has been absolutely brilliant up until this point. It's a lonely position and those are the margins you play in as a goalkeeper - you simply can not make mistakes because you will be punished". "Let's go and enjoy it".
After the first half of the season Leicester looked set to reach the Champions League - they were 15 points above United on 1 January - but Rodgers says that was always an unlikely feat.
"That is quite clear". They are already guaranteed to end the season in the top six and qualify for at least the Europa League.
Revenues rise but profits fall at Microsoft as taxes take a bite
Overall Microsoft's results showed how the coronavirus pandemic has been both positive and negative for the group. Server products and cloud services revenue increased 19 per cent, driven by Azure revenue growth of 47 per cent.
"When you (United) are at that level of spending and everything else there is a need to be in there and that brings a different level of expectation".
Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has jumped to the defence of David De Gea following criticism levelled at the Manchester United number one.
The Red Devils were also beaten by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final but despite their fatigue, Solskjaer believes his team has what it takes to ensure they return to the Champions League next season.
"There is a lot of pressure also in the sense that you now have an England goalkeeper coming through and, like it or not, in this country when you have an English goalkeeper, that means so much and they really do tend to build them up", he continued.
"They're informing their informed viewpoints about goalkeeping, things like hand positions, feet positions, technical things which often is rather harmful to a goalkeeper".
