Patrice Evra, the Manchester United captain, says he finds the Premier League table too painful to look at, with the champions currently languishing in eighth place. United's back-to-back defeats by Everton and Newcastle have caused concern that Old Trafford is no longer an impregnable fortress, and Evra admits there is an urgent need to restore the "United spirit".
"I am not looking at the table. I look at the next game, which is West Ham at home," said Evra. "Last year we won that kind of game. We have more trouble at Old Trafford. That is where we have to show our character and our personality and play with the Manchester United spirit. "We do not want to let down the Manchester United fans and the staff and ourselves. When we lost against Everton and Newcastle it was a massive blow. We have reacted well with three wins in a row, but we have to make sure we win on Saturday. That is my concern and my focus. "We need points. I wouldn't lie and say anything else. You can talk a lot. What counts is how you act on the pitch. We have to respect the shirt. "When we lost against Everton, [in] the game against Newcastle it was obvious we looked a little bit worried.
The crowd were not happy sometimes. It is not easy for anyone. But we play for Manchester United. We have to deal with that because we need them. We have to show them first on the pitch by playing well. "If they want to criticise us, we deserve that because when you play for Manchester United, you have to play with the pressure." United's Capital One Cup quarter-final victory over Stoke was the latest sign the side are finding some form, with Evra scoring in a 2-0 win.
The left-back says it is essential United carry forward that momentum to make up lost ground in the league. "I want to get another unbeaten run going, but this time we do not want to slip back again," he said. "It is too painful. It is too painful for us, for the staff, for the fans. We have to make sure we keep winning games."
