The match pitting Manchester United and their bitter rivals will be a big match for the two sides as one seeks to find its way to the top four and the other one looking to put more pressure on Liverpool as the title race nears the end.
Manchester United trained in their reserve ground where a lot was talked following their dismal match display that has never been recorded in the club’s history.
Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan delivered separate motivational messages to the players during their final training session before tonight’s derby.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the 20-man squad back to the club’s former training ground, The Cliff, on Wednesday morning to limber up ahead of the 8 pm kick-off.
Onlookers told the MEN the United players broke up into separate groups and Phelan went round to each one to ‘gee up’ the players amid their poor form. United have lost six of their last eight in all competitions and have fallen back down to sixth in the Premier League table.
Solskjaer is understood to have spoken separately with Scott McTominay, who seems certain to be recalled for this evening’s Old Trafford encounter. Phil Jones is believed to be out injured but Luke Shaw is available again following a three-match domestic and European suspension.
United relocated to The Hilton Hotel on Deansgate for their pre-match base on Tuesday night, rather than The Lowry Hotel or The Hilton Garden Inn at Lancashire Cricket Ground. Sources say United’s last journey to Old Trafford from The Lowry for an evening game took an hour-and-a-half.
Solskjaer said on Tuesday United had had little time to train after the embarrassing 4-0 thrashing by Everton on Sunday, due to the short turn-around between games, but the Norwegian squeezed one last session into their preparations at the legendary The Cliff.
United left The Cliff to relocate to Carrington in 2000 but the club still owns the property and United Women’s manager Casey Stoney is hopeful of using it as the team’s base next season.
