Manchester United players will have to motivate themselves at home to Bournemouth on Wednesday after manager Jose Mourinho suggested their Premier League title challenge was probably over.
The 2-1defeat at home to Manchester City on Sunday leaves United second in the table but a daunting 11 points behind its city rival.
However, United's Spanish forward Juan Mata issued a stirring rallying call in the wake of the defeat.
"We must carry on, knowing there's still a long way to go," said Mata, as quoted by AFP. "The calendar gives you no time for mourning and we have to focus on what's next.
"The list of fixtures is very demanding this month so it's important to get to each game in the best condition possible.
"I think we have the ability to do it, even though we know these are the toughest weeks of the season.
"We are Manchester United and we have experience in playing every few days."
United's fixture list is indeed a hectic one - Wednesday's match is the fourth of nine games it faces during Desember.
It does not help that it will once again be without France midfielder Paul Pogba, who serves the second game of a three-match ban incurred for his sending-off at Arsenal on Dec. 2.
Pogba's influence was undoubtedly missed during Sunday's derby, although Bournemouth should be far less of a test for Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera than Manchester City were.
Herrera still needs to watch his step, though, as he is one booking away from a one-match suspension, as is wing-back Ashley Young.
Mourinho has given every indication so far that he intends to persist with Romelo Lukaku, despite the Belgium striker's poor run of form in front of goal.
Having scored 11 goals in his first 10 United games, Lukaku has hit just two in 14 appearances since.
Bournemouth's 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace at the weekend left Eddie Howe's side three points clear of the bottom three.
The Cherries had Jermain Defoe to thank fot for claiming a point with the veteran scoring twice and offering signs he is returning to his best form after an inconsistent start to the season.
"Hopefully it's a start for him, he had a few niggles early on in the season so he was set back a little," said Howe.
"Now he's getting back to where he wants to be and that will give us a big lift."
Defoe concurred with Howe.
"I have picked up little niggles and it's been a bit stop-start," said the 35-year-old England international.
"I thought once I get a run of games and the chances come then I will score goals.
"All I have to do is make sure my recovery is right and be professional, like I have always been. We have a lot of games coming up in a short space of time."
Meanwhile, former United manager Louis Van Gaal believes the club has become more boring under his successor Jose Mourinho, saying he would prefer to watch local rival and Premier League leader Manchester City in action, Reuters reported.
During the Dutchman's two-year stint as United manager from 2014, the club secured fourth and fifth-placed league finishes along with an FA Cup triumph, but Van Gaal was regularly criticized for his negative tactics.
Mourinho's United won the League Cup and Europa League in his first season in charge but the Portuguese has been accused of "parking the bus" in big games, and Van Gaal believes the former Chelsea boss deserves more criticism.
"I would rather watch City play than United," Van Gaal was quoted as saying by the Mirror. "You need quality in a squad and it's clear City have a better squad.
(...) And yet, right now, looking at United, I have to conclude Mourinho is not being criticized while it's far more boring football."
Agencies
Manchester/Bengaluru
The 2-1defeat at home to Manchester City on Sunday leaves United second in the table but a daunting 11 points behind its city rival.
However, United's Spanish forward Juan Mata issued a stirring rallying call in the wake of the defeat.
"We must carry on, knowing there's still a long way to go," said Mata, as quoted by AFP. "The calendar gives you no time for mourning and we have to focus on what's next.
"The list of fixtures is very demanding this month so it's important to get to each game in the best condition possible.
"I think we have the ability to do it, even though we know these are the toughest weeks of the season.
"We are Manchester United and we have experience in playing every few days."
United's fixture list is indeed a hectic one - Wednesday's match is the fourth of nine games it faces during Desember.
It does not help that it will once again be without France midfielder Paul Pogba, who serves the second game of a three-match ban incurred for his sending-off at Arsenal on Dec. 2.
Pogba's influence was undoubtedly missed during Sunday's derby, although Bournemouth should be far less of a test for Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera than Manchester City were.
Herrera still needs to watch his step, though, as he is one booking away from a one-match suspension, as is wing-back Ashley Young.
Mourinho has given every indication so far that he intends to persist with Romelo Lukaku, despite the Belgium striker's poor run of form in front of goal.
Having scored 11 goals in his first 10 United games, Lukaku has hit just two in 14 appearances since.
Bournemouth's 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace at the weekend left Eddie Howe's side three points clear of the bottom three.
The Cherries had Jermain Defoe to thank fot for claiming a point with the veteran scoring twice and offering signs he is returning to his best form after an inconsistent start to the season.
"Hopefully it's a start for him, he had a few niggles early on in the season so he was set back a little," said Howe.
"Now he's getting back to where he wants to be and that will give us a big lift."
Defoe concurred with Howe.
"I have picked up little niggles and it's been a bit stop-start," said the 35-year-old England international.
"I thought once I get a run of games and the chances come then I will score goals.
"All I have to do is make sure my recovery is right and be professional, like I have always been. We have a lot of games coming up in a short space of time."
Meanwhile, former United manager Louis Van Gaal believes the club has become more boring under his successor Jose Mourinho, saying he would prefer to watch local rival and Premier League leader Manchester City in action, Reuters reported.
During the Dutchman's two-year stint as United manager from 2014, the club secured fourth and fifth-placed league finishes along with an FA Cup triumph, but Van Gaal was regularly criticized for his negative tactics.
Mourinho's United won the League Cup and Europa League in his first season in charge but the Portuguese has been accused of "parking the bus" in big games, and Van Gaal believes the former Chelsea boss deserves more criticism.
"I would rather watch City play than United," Van Gaal was quoted as saying by the Mirror. "You need quality in a squad and it's clear City have a better squad.
(...) And yet, right now, looking at United, I have to conclude Mourinho is not being criticized while it's far more boring football."
Agencies
Manchester/Bengaluru
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