Lindegaard warns against complacency

Manchester United’s Anders Lindegaard wants to avoid the mistakes that led to his team crashing out early in the Champions League last season.

The Danish shot-stopper, who hopes to retain his place in goal against Galatasaray ahead of David de Gea, believes failure to escape the group stages in successive seasons is simply not an option.

“We have to do better. Anything else will be very disappointing as it was last season when we went out after the group stage,” he told The Guardian.

“I think we got too careless. In a couple of games, especially against Basel at home (drawing 3-3), it was very annoying for us.

“That was the tendency last season. We had the game in our hands and we threw it away. For whatever reason that was, we cannot afford to do that again this season.”

United have a relatively easy group featuring Cluj, Galatasaray and Sporting Braga, but Lindegaard insists that every team, even a minnow, represents a challenge that must not be underestimated.

“No matter who you play against in the Champions League, it is a special kind of football, the team you are playing are the champions or among the top three in their respective countries and we have to take every assignment very seriously,” Lindegaard said.

“We can’t afford to make light of anything. I don’t know if we were complacent last season but the fact is we didn’t go through and we were very disappointed, and we have to make it right.”