Juan Mata: March will make-or-break Manchester United's season

JUAN MATA has steeled Manchester United for a make-or-break month.

03:06, Tue, Mar 3, 2015 | UPDATED: 06:36, Tue, Mar 3, 2015

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Juan Mata believes March will decide Manchester Utd's fate

Louis van Gaal’s team will follow tomorrow’s (Wed) trip to Newcastle with their FA Cup quarter-final home tie against Arsenal next Monday before crucial Premier League clashes with top-four rivals Tottenham and resurgent Liverpool.

And Mata admits that by the end of March United could be well on course to achieve their twin targets of returning to the Champions League and winning the Cup for the first time in 11 years.

“We know we are getting closer to the decisive weeks of the season,” he said. “We will need to give everything in the next games to get our goals; for starters we have Newcastle in the Premier League followed by Arsenal in the FA Cup.

“We will also play Tottenham and Liverpool in March, so it’s not an exaggeration to describe this month as one of the most demanding ones this season.

Newcastle v Manchester Utd - Premier League Preview

We will need to give everything in the next games to get our goals
Juan Mata

“Having lost at Swansea, it was really important to beat Sunderland last Saturday and get the three points. We remain in the Champions League spots but you just need to have a look at the table to realise how close this race is going to be until the end of the season.

“We are ready for that, although all we think about is trying to win all the games left, starting at St James’ Park, a stadium that brings back some good memories for me because I have scored several goals there.”

Meanwhile defender Chris Smalling has defended United’s possession tactics following disapproval from the Old Trafford crowd during a sterile first half against Sunderland on Saturday.

“We have to just keep moving the ball and, at times, you are keeping it and going side to side,” said Smalling. “You’re waiting for that moment to draw one of your opponents out of position and then you take your chance. But it’s crucial for the two centre-backs that we’re not switching off. We have to be on our toes and the manager stresses that before the games.”