The festive period is here, and with it fixture congestion, and Thursday night will see Manchester United visit Sheffield United, beginning a slate that sees six games in 17 days. Monday also learned their Europa League fate today, as they are drawn against Real Sociedad in the round of 32.
United enter this critical period five points off the pace for the top of the Premier League table with a game in hand. Saturday saw what might have truly been the worst Manchester Derby ever, at least from an entertainment value stand point, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he was pleased with the result.
Now he turns his attention to a very critical stretch. His side, just like all the others, will now see an increased workload through the turn of the calendar into the new year.
“I think Christmas time with the amount of games in a short space of time there will be changes in positions,” said Solskjaer.
“We have a game less but it’s a big moment in the season, this time around Christmas, then get to new year, then you have a break with the FA Cup, maybe then we will have a clearer view of how it will look for us.
“Now we are looking at the Sheff United and Leeds United games.”
The games will keep coming in increments of three days apart. United will host Leeds on Sunday, three days after the trip to Sheffield, followed by a League Cup clash at Everton a week from Wednesday.
Solskjaer’s position is safe for the time being, but if United start to crumble, from the weight of the loaded fixture schedule, his job could be in jeopardy. Crashing out of the Champions League has significantly diminished his standing right now, but they are considered among the favorites to win the European consolation bracket.
Europa League Round of 32 Draw
Wolfsburger vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Dynamo Kiev vs. Club Brugge
Real Sociedad vs. Manchester United
Benfica vs. Arsenal
Red Star Belgrade vs. AC Milan
Royal Antwerp vs. Rangers
Slavia Prague vs. Leicester City
FC Salzburg vs. Villarreal
Braga vs. AS Roma
Krasnodar vs. Dinamo Zagreb
Young Boys vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Molde vs. TSG Hoffenheim
Granada vs. Napoli
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Lille vs. Ajax Amsterdam
Olympiakos vs. PSV Eindhoven
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.