Five reasons why Reds should be excited for spring

Spring officially began last weekend, but the prospect of lighter evenings gives a more tangible sense that we’re finally leaving one of the toughest winters in living memory behind.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is very much ongoing, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine continuing to be rolled out and the roadmap out of lockdown entering its latest stage on Monday.

Of course, Manchester United have supporters all around the world, and the situation is not the same everywhere, but here are five things we can all hopefully look forward to together over the coming months, starting with a potential push for silverware…

THE QUEST FOR EUROPEAN GLORY

After Sunday’s disappointing Emirates FA Cup defeat to Leicester City, the Europa League now stands as United’s best chance of claiming silverware in 2020/21. After seeing off much-fancied sides Real Sociedad and AC Milan, last Friday’s draw pitted us with European newcomers Granada in the quarter-finals, with the first leg to be played in Spain on Thursday 8 April. Our 2017 triumph in Stockholm in this competition, when we defeated Ajax 2-0 in the final, was our last trophy and such an uplifting moment for the club and city as a whole, coming just days after the tragedy at the Manchester Arena. While a repeat four years on wouldn’t quite have the same emotional overtones, it would still be an important staging post in the development of the current team, says MUTV pundit Danny Webber.

“We’ve all said it would be nice to win something and get that winning feeling throughout the squad,” Webber said on this week’s Group Chat. “We’ve said it numerous times so we’ve got to take it seriously.

“It’s the point in the season where you’ve got to take it seriously. The reason the games are coming thick and fast – obviously coronavirus plays a part and the whole fixture pile-up – but because you’re in so many competitions, that’s what you want. That’s what you’re playing for.”

POTENTIAL FOR FANS’ RETURN

A year has now passed since our supporters were last in attendance at Old Trafford, with United playing 28 home games behind closed doors in that time. However, the UK government’s COVID-19 response plan for this spring, published last month, has enabled the club to plan for next season, with the potential for a hopeful return to some form of matchday operation at Old Trafford on the horizon – as you can read in our recent 2021/22 Season Ticket update.

Should the roadmap out of lockdown go to plan, spectators will be allowed at elite sporting events and performance events from 17 May, with up to 10,000 people able to attend games - or grounds could be a quarter-full, whichever figure is lower. The Premier League season ends six days later, as United travel to Molineux to take on Wolves on the final day.

HUGE GAMES ON THE HORIZON

United still have nine top-flight fixtures to negotiate between now and the end of May, and if we can't catch Manchester City, we will have our sights firmly set on a second-placed finish. Although our campaign resumes with a home game against Brighton on 4 April, fans will have a trio of matches against top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur (11 April), Liverpool (1 May, TBC) and Leicester City (11 May, TBC) marked in their calendars.

However, the biggest date to circle could well be Saturday 24 April (TBC), when the Reds play rivals Leeds United at Elland Road in a league fixture for the first time in 18 years. While the game will take place behind closed doors, the cross-Pennines clash is always keenly contested and Marcelo Bielsa’s talented side will be well up for it after performing impressively during their first campaign back in the big time. We’re just hoping for a repeat of December’s 6-2 success, at Old Trafford!

BIG OCCASION FOR YOUNG REDS

The FA Youth Cup is a beloved competition at this club, and our bid to reclaim the trophy after a 10-year wait began well, with a 2-0 victory at Salford City in March. The prize? A mouthwatering clash with Liverpool in the fourth round, which is set to be played on Saturday 3 April. The two sides have been riding high in the Under-18s Premier League North, alongside Manchester City, all season, with United winning both league fixtures, 4-3 and 1-0. It’s sure to be another one to remember, with the victors progressing to the last 16, safe in the knowledge they will have eliminated one of their most dangerous competitors.

NEW GROUND FOR UNITED WOMEN

Casey Stoney’s Reds will make history this weekend, playing at Old Trafford for the first time in their short history. Our Women’s side will benefit from the international break in the men's game as we host West Ham Women in M16, hoping to transfer our solid run of form at Leigh Sports Village in 2020/21 – our girls have won five, drawn two and lost just one of eight top-flight fixtures so far. That has helped Stoney and co rise to third in the table and, if that position can be maintained until the end of the season, more history will be made, with Champions League football guaranteed for the top WSL trio.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY?

We hope there will be a United international debut, as Ivory Coast take on Niger in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Our youngster Amad has been selected in the Elephants squad for the first time, alongside team-mate Eric Bailly. The game kicks off at 16:00 GMT and we'll bring you updates in our international blog.

Elsewhere, look out for our usual Media Watch news stories round-up in the morning, plus we ramp up our focus on United Women's big day at the Theatre of Dreams.

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?

The voting for March's Player of the Month opened, with three Reds in contention. To find out who, and how to vote, see our article. On the theme of looking ahead, the Premier League confirmed the start and end dates for the 2021/22 campaign.

We published this inspiring story from Marcus Rashford's interview with Jay Shetty, and rounded up the big stories in the press from Wednesday.

Finally, several Reds were in action on Thursday evening for their respective countries in the World Cup qualifiers. To see how they got on, make sure to check our international blog.