Steve Holland hints Man Utd not yet giving up on Premier League title

Since Michael Carrick assumed control in mid-January, United have experienced a significant resurgence, climbing to third in the Premier League table with seven fixtures remaining. Their prospects of returning to Europe’s elite competition has been bolstered by Arsenal’s win over Sporting CP on Tuesday night, which again secured a fifth Champions League spot for English clubs next season. Currently holding a seven-point cushion over sixth-placed Chelsea, the Red Devils are well-positioned for a return to the the competition they have won three times.

The coaching staff has been working to shift the players' focus away from the teams trailing them, instead prioritising individual match victories to close the gap on the leaders. Holland acknowledges the significance of a top-four finish, but he insists that the club's mentality should always focus on trophies.

Discussing the team's objectives on the official club website, the assistant manager explained: "I think the language we should be using as this club is to finish as close as we possibly can to the top. I don't know how possible that is, but that has to be the challenge always: to get as close as we possibly can to the top.

"We've been speaking more to the players really about winning our matches, rather than thinking too much about what's happening below. But clearly given the context, to finish in the Champions League places would be a good situation for us, but I think always we should be looking for more than that."

To prepare for the final stretch, United took advantage of a rare 24-day hiatus - the result of international fixtures and early domestic cup exits - to hold an intensive training camp outside Dublin. Reflecting on the importance of the Irish retreat and the gap in the schedule, Holland added: "Our last game, Bournemouth to Leeds, is a Premier League record I think, in terms of time between games. So the gap has been as big as you can have really. I think we felt it was important to get the whole group together again, and really focus on finishing the season well. I think this was the perfect venue for that, really."

United resume their campaign against Leeds on April 13, marking the start of a defining stretch that includes pivotal clashes away at Chelsea and at home to Brentford. The intensity heightens in May as they host rivals Liverpool, followed by testing trips to Sunderland and Brighton, with a home fixture against Nottingham Forest in between. To keep their slim title hopes alive and bridge the 15-point gap to Arsenal, Carrick's side must now produce a flawless run across these final seven fixtures.