We have already played them at Villa Park and should have got a win
“We have already played them at Villa Park and should have got a win. That should give us some confidence.” Signed by United from Brondby for £600,000, Schmeichel’s netful of trophies for Manchester includes three FA Cups. So how will it be to face them in the competition? “It’s always special against United, even if you haven’t played for them as I have. But I was fortunate enough to play against the biggest clubs and the biggest countries. Having done that, you know how to get through games like this. You don’t look at who they’ve got playing for them, you start by assessing your own team.
If you start thinking about the people you’re playing against, then you have already given them the upper hand.”I have played a few times against teams I admire I found it hard against Brondby These were the people who believed in me when I was young. United beat them 6-2 and 5-0 and that was very difficult, because you knew how much that was going to hurt them But you have to go out there and forget all about loyalty. Just go about your job and make sure you win the game.”Winning tonight is what Gregory feels his team are capable of. Speaking on Friday at the same time as the Football Association were charging him in London with misconduct following an exchange with referee Andy D’Urso in the Boxing Day game with Liverpool, he said: “We take a lot of confidence from the way we played against United in our opening home match in the league. We had a moral victory, in control for 92 minutes, then we conceded a late own goal.
A lot of my lads came of age that day, went out and believed they could compete with Manchester. That same belief will be rammed into their minds on Sunday night.”The straight-talking Gregory – “I could be a good journalist,” he teased Friday’s media gathering – makes no secret of the frustrations of his job. “On the day we went top of the league, 27 October, I thought it was an ideal time to buy two or three players who would have kept us there I asked if we could enhance the team The answer was no. The club policy is that we have to sell before we can add to the squad. I have found that frustrating at times but I have had to get on with it.”This is a big game because it represents our only chance of some silverware. Buf if the team don’t win the manager gets the blame and this manager will always accept the blame Would I walk away from here? Never, ever I wouldn’t turn my back on the lads They are a fantastic bunch. We are talking about a team just outside the top six.”Whether Schmeichel will opt to turn his back on Villa at the end of the season is debatable.