Manchester United news as Michael Carrick is given some advice and Marcus Rashford gets a Barcelona update
Manchester United will be looking to avoid another setback in their quest to secure Champions League football when they visit Chelsea on Saturday. The Red Devils need to bounce back after being stunned at home by Leeds United, who recorded their first league victory at Old Trafford in 45 years on Monday.
With fifth set to be enough to secure Champions League football again, third-place United remain well-positioned. However, defeat in west London would reopen the door for Chelsea, who have slipped down to sixth amid a torrid run of form under Liam Rosenior.
Even if Champions League football is achieved, interim boss Michael Carrick may need to secure it in style to aid his chances of landing the job on a permanent basis.
There are plenty of questions to answer on and off the pitch over the next few weeks, with United set to be busy in the transfer market this summer. Mirror Football brings you a round-up of the latest news and views from Old Trafford.
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Carrick told to be like Ferguson
Carrick needs an aggressive streak like Sir Alex Ferguson. That's according to ex-United winger Lee Sharpe, who played under the club's greatest manager in the 1990s.
Sharpe believes Carrick needs to be firmer with the players when they underperform, as they did against Leeds. He told BetWright: "Sir Alex Ferguson was completely different. He ruled through fear.
"He came in and scared everyone to death and had an aggressive team. The spine of his team was unmatched. He was on top of everyone and that drew out the success from the team.
"You can't argue with Sir Alex's record as manager. Ideally, Carrick should take a bit of aggression from Sir Alex to give the players a kick up the backside on occasion, which is what they needed during and after the Leeds game."
Rashford suffers transfer blow
Barcelona are continuing to dither over whether to sign Marcus Rashford outright this summer. The Catalan giants have the option to turn his loan spell from United into a permanent deal for £26million.
However, according to Marca, they are yet to make a final decision as doubts are creeping in. Barca's plan to sign Rashford has "cooled off" and is "close to being ruled out" amid concerns over the England forward's form since the turn of the year, it's claimed.
He has just two goals in his last 16 matches and has failed to make the most of positional rival Raphinha's absence from the team through injury.
Barca are thought to be pondering whether the pre-agreed fee could be spent better elsewhere. Following their Champions League exit to Atletico Madrid, Barca don't play again until Wednesday, when they host Celta Vigo in La Liga.