Blind calls for focus

Manchester United utility Daley Blind warned his team-mates not to look too far ahead, with the third and final automatic UEFA Champions League qualifying spot still up for grabs.

United have already emerged as a favourite to win the Premier League title next season, while they are an outside chance of overhauling Chelsea this term, after crushing rivals Manchester City 4-2 in the Manchester derby on Sunday.

A six-match winning streak has rocketed Louis van Gaal’s United up to third in the standings with six fixtures remaining, four points above City and eight points adrift of leaders Chelsea heading into Saturday’s trip to Stamford Bridge.

However, Blind is solely focused on helping United secure Champions League football after a season out of Europe’s premier competition.

“I think Manchester United is always a club that is fighting for the title,” said the Netherlands international.

“We have to watch ourselves this season, our own games, focus on that and then we will see where it ends. But we don’t have to watch Chelsea. We have to watch for our own games.

“We have to look at ourselves because every game is a final and we have to believe in ourselves. We have improved a lot and are still improving and we really are one team.”

Blind also revealed a pre-match team talk from United captain Wayne Rooney inspired the 13-time Premier League champions to their first win over City since 2012.

“It was a thing what was always in our minds. It was going through the team. Everyone knew how important this game was, not only because it’s a rat race in the last games, but also because of the history of the last four game,” Blind said.

“Wayne Rooney mentioned that in the dressing room before the game to all the players and it is something that you have in mind when you go on to the pitch. You saw how everyone was fighting for each other.

“Maybe after the first five minutes we were a bit like, ‘What is happening here?’ but after that we picked it up again and we did very well. And with the crowd behind us, it was amazing.”