The Reds have a disastrous week with defeats to Bayern Munich and Chelsea as well as the injury suffered by talisman Wayne Rooney.
But the Serb defender insists there is no point feeling down and they must regroup before the Champions League showdown with the Germans at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
"We were down after the Bayern game but we cannot afford to be down again," Vidic said.
"We need to get our heads up and face the facts.
"We have lost two games but we shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves.
"We need to seize the moment and make sure we finish well this season."
Having Rooney available would be the most obvious way of restoring fortunes, although according to Sir Alex Ferguson his 34-goal forward will be missing for at least another week - even if the feeling persists he might be back sooner.
However, there must be a marked improvement in United's normally reliable method of keeping possession as a failure in that department proved costly in both their recent defeats.
In Premier League terms, though, the demand is straightforward.
Two points adrift of Chelsea, with an inferior goal difference, Vidic knows only victories will do from now on.
"Chelsea have just the league and the FA Cup to focus on, which helps them, but if we win all five games then we still have a good chance," he said.
"I hope there will be more twists and turns and there will be more dropped points before the end." Tweet
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Nemanja, I admire you for joining the recent list of United players who, through the MEN, have urged, rallied, roared, stayed positive, stayed focused, etc, but the time now is to put these words into action!
We do need you and your team-mates to respond positively to OUR encouragement. I thought that the crowd support against Chelseki was excellent in the circumstances. Despite the vocal utterings of the usual moaners, the crowd gave their all for the cause. Of course we were dissappointed at the end, but ALL us true Reds will never turn our backs on you. We will be there on Wednesday, at the ground or watching on screen, giving you great support, but I implore YOU and the players to respond, as you say in the article, in a positive manner!!
UNITED 'til I die. Believe!
We also need to play our part in ensuring they keep their heads up and don't allow them to become too introspective. The real upside was Macheda looked dynamic when he came on and a much better all-round footballer than last season; he has certainly evolved and has the hunger, but also belief.
There were the usual "the manager is rubbish" comments from the brain dead yesterday, but some of the older players deserved an "extra" season and remain good enough to beat teams up to the top six in the league. They are also important for ensuring continuity in the mentality of the group. Unfortunately, if our club needs, as a broad concept, two players for every position, then Scholes, Nev and Giggsy should now not be in the first choice that takes on Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Everton or the top sides in Europe. As a general rule this also applies to Park, Anderson, Carrick and Berbatov, IMO. Owen Hargreaves has also caused a complication that needed this season to fix.
With Danny Welbeck, Smalling, Drinkwater, James, Will Keane, Cameron Stewart and Corry Evans in the background there are a lot of upsides for the future and a squad like that below would be as good as most:
1. Van der Sar
2. O’ Shea
3. Evra
4. Vidic
5. Fletcher
6. Ferdinand
7. Valencia
8.
9. Rooney
10.
11. Nani
12. Rafael
13. Fabio
14. Brown
15. Anderson, Gibson or Hargreaves
16. Evans
17. Park
18. One of Carrick/ Scholes
19. Berbatov
20. Macheda
21. Giggs
22. Kuszscak/ Foster
23. Neville
24. Owen
25. Cleverley
IMO, there are question marks over all of Tosic, Obertan, Gibson, Anderson, DeLaet, Hargreaves, Diouf, Foster, Kusczsak’s futures, but I am sure some of them will still be around and offer something to the squad. Although, probably not as first-choices. Similarly, IMO, Michael Carrick.
Unless I've missed something though, our midfield needs two players of the highest quality. At the very highest level, there is inadequate pace in our engine room, no genuine fluidity or sufficient sparks of ingenuity and our lone striker gets isolated far too often.
Good call vidic even though you do not want to be here as all your thinking of is spain.
As the lights start to dim over salford..........................
when are the rags going to accept it. the moment Shrek got injured the title and euoropean cup went out of the window. Nobody in there right mind would put money chelski throwing it away now and Munich know exactly how to play on wendsday without having to watch shrek they know the rags have no threat up front they will just keep it tight and grab one on the break.So all they have this season is the toy town cup and the thought City will be even better next season
Doc Savage
Thanks for that posting it shows everyone what an average squad nited have.
Why wasn't there a media debate over Joe Cole being sent-off for the elbow in the picture above ?
I saw Duncan Edwards play,
Spot on, as usual. I have condemned SAF's last two team selections, and I stand by my views. All the same, we still have plenty to play for. Despite these losses we can recover on Tuesday, and must NOT give up in the league.
Already the bayern players have begun spouting off at the mouth; that numpty van bommel suggesting the tie is as good as over!
Well we will see about that, won't we? Old Trafford can still be a very daunting place when trying to defend a lead against Utd. Just ask the chelsea players how relaxed they felt during the final fourteen minutes of yesterday's game!
If we beat bayern, then that can kick start a mini revival. We simply must win all our remaining games. Manage that, and who knows what chelsea will do? Maybe they will simply steamroller every team to the end of the season, and walk away with a double.
Or may, just maybe, they will have their annoying, cheating noses bloodied once or twice more! If spurs are up for the chelsea game, and can call on a full strength team, then what makes a chelsea win a forgone conclusion?!! Similarly, if the scousers are really up for their FINAL home game, as logic and history suggests they will be, particularly if they are STILL battling for fourth spot, then why do chelsea have a guaranteed 3 points there?!!! And why is is a certainty that one of their other three opponents cannot spring a surprise?
Fair enough, the title is theirs to lose, there's no escaping that. But like I said yesterday, they will still need a few more generous slices of luck!
They can still slip up. So we need to be ready to pounce if they do.
Paul, Whalley Range
Drago all these players are better than those Fergiie picked
IMO, there are question marks over all of Tosic,great player as good as Arshavin Obertan,best mover of the ball in the squad Gibson,Strong like an ox nobody else has his power or shot Anderson,great just needs a new coach with half a brain DeLaet,fantastic plaer 100times better than Neville ever was Hargreaves, Diouf,Cool quick missed one chance but is still better than Berbatov Foster, rubbish
I see Bobby Dazzler's take on our midfield yesterday referenced in the Sunday Times sports section today, where they took a strawl poll of forum comments next to the match report!
Doc Savage - the issue is that there are almost no players coming through. I don't mean youngsters with potential but players threatening the regulars and pushing them onto the bench.
Only Roon and Fletch have improved this season (Nani too but still too rarely). Carrick, Anderson have if anything gone backwards. It's alright buying Obertan and Diouf but they have not contributed this season. Unless they come good next season it's just tinkering on the periphery. We need players like Gibson, Anderson, Foster forcing others onto the bench. If they aren't good enough ok but tell me who is? Is the conveyor belt of talent working?
And will Berbatov get better? Owen? Carrick? Park? OShea? Brown? See what I mean?
As for Smalling - he has had 10 games. He may have huge potential but when will he be ready?
Truth be told I see Utd at a crossroad - unless SAF starts strenghthening the team this summer we could come a cropper ala Liverpool.
Thank God SAF picks the team and not Danny, Wilmslow. Every now and again SAF makes a mistake and doesn't win a trophy (despite the 20-odd he's won with United). Danny, with your appreciation of players like Obertan, De Laet etc with all due respect to these quality emerging players, they'd just sink without top quality around them. It takes time and expertise to build a team. Those people who are coaching day in day out know what they're doing. You can't win every game even if you are Barcelona at the moment. We all want United to win every game, but it's just not possible, because there are other strong teams out there and you need time to build a winning team, sometimes you lose great players and have to rebuild - maybe some of your choices will become top players, but even they will admit, surely, that they have to learn the trade. I'll bet they respect SAF a lot more than you do.
You really have to smile havent you at the Berties indulgence in, as the Germans say"Schadenfreude",getting satisfaction at others misfortune.Their over rated millionaire club,have not been anywhere near a Top Championship since 1968 ,nowhere near an FA Cup since 1981,European Champions league ,never!United were beaten deservedly by a Team ,Chelsea whose millions have brought them success.city think all will be well next term ,or the season after that ,or maybe 2013 etc.Dont delude yourself ,Berties.All the quality clubs will strengthen next season,and you will find it harder than ever to get your Holy Grail, a Trophy..Have your moment bitters,we have been indulging in your current"schadenfreude" for so long its become a habit.It happened in the Carling Cup ,Cookie boy was convinced was theirs.
Best stick to your perpetual myth "we are all locals",I suppose that includes your owners,and will that go out of the window when your dream of Global popularity ever is realised?
Overall i think the squad has over achived this season we are lucky to be were we are. for two seasons we have seen the goals from midfeild have just not been there. carrick is afraid to shoot felchter does'nt have great shooting abillity giggs and scholes have lost alot of what made them feared though out the contrty ,however the pair are still quality. they should should just not start against the big teams anymore . Evra is one of my farourite players but has been poor since tevez and a certain man left the club he started the season well but looks leggy and overplayed. There just dosen't seem to be much movment through out the team especially against the big teams. we lack real creativity it's frigtning.
The problem is nani and Anderson were brought in to improve the squad and be creative players but in my opion both have gone backwards. we are in this position because of experiance ,willl and fight not becasue of quality. They are improtent components but if we are to continue dominating we will have to buy and buy big. Anderson has to improve we need 15 to twenty goals from him and Nani ,we need a new striker sell Berbatov. The problem is who can we buy and aford. the team may have to be ripped apart now were can they go from here
@Doc Savage : You have a good squad there, but more than a couple of slots need to be filled in....while its nice to be sentimental, we also have to move on...in my honest opinion, we need to let Foster, Carrick, Welbeck, and Gibson (possibly on loan) move on...and we need a couple of creative players for the midfield....in my opinion, this is how our squad should look without new signings :
GK's : VDS, Kuszcack, <new proven signing>.
Defenders : O'Shea, Brown, Rafael, Vidic, Ferdinand, J. Evans, Smalling, Evra, Fabio, De Laet, C. Evans.
Midfield : Fletcher, Nani, Valencia, Park, Anderson, Scholes, Giggs, Obertan, Tosic, Hargreaves (if he remains, then great, else keep Gibson), Obertan, Eikrem, <two new proven signings>.
Strikers : Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Macheda, Diouf, <new proven signing>.
TBH, we don't need 'potential' signings anymore...we need to sign big....especially after this season, however successful it may turn out to be....it'll especially help us a lot if Vidic remains....we won't have to go for a big signing in defense and save money there.....let's hope for the best....
Who do you think you are kidding Mr Ferguson? Stick with the Dads Army, don't panic, I said don't panic, the Germans won't like it up em and for gods sake don't tell em your name Pike.
'RED-BRIT-INIT' well said!!
Suck on that danny wilmslow and do us all a favour n take your comments elsewhere.
AM I A RED OR A SALFORD CANARY ?, manchester
4/04/2010 at 15:13
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!
To the voyeur (with a 'tasche),
Average and in second place; and winning nearly all the big games. How does that work? I think you mis-understand the definition of average, but then judging by your punctuation and grammar that doesn't surprise me.
When is the Carling cup final? Not in 34 years.
Roy,
I agree with you totally about it being a crossroads, but I do think next season you'll see Macheda and Rafael genuinely competing with, and replacing, the established (or higher paid) squad members. I also think Nani has now supplanted Giggs. Johnny Evans' apparent acceptance at being third choice centre-back bugs me, but he's thereabouts and perhaps ideal in rotation. It is only Nev, Giggs and Scholes who are permantly going backwards, after all.
Carrick has also struggled, but even Giggs and Scholes had seasons where they seemed to regress in years gone by. Hopefully he'll respond.
Fabio is genuine quality and although he might not properly challenge Evra next season, I think he will warrant more games somewhere in the team. Nobody would have expected Beckham to kick on like he did after his loan spell at Preston, but Tom Cleverley has been the star man at Watford all season.
Maybe Obertan, Anderson, Gibson and Tosic will have something to contribute too, but they all seem to play in bubbles (no brains) too much for me. Certainly to be in the same side.
I wonder if Fergie thinks that the quality of '99 was so unusually high that he is adjusting the hierarchy and expectations of fans, so that the youngster have lower expectations on them and that the fans feel more inclined to being patient when youngsters are given their heads. Or maybe he is suppressing some of the youngsters to make them respond and giving them a "free" season to learn. With Fergie it is probably a combination of all things, as I'm sure you know.
I don't personally think everyone needs to get better though. We have performed pretty well in the last three seasons, even if they have reached their highest plateau.
Since Fergie has the Ronaldo money from last year, a further £20million from this season and last years £20million budget too, we should be okay. I still don't think our squad needs major surgery, just two with major quality and some adjustment in how we pass in Europe. Milner seems to fit Fergie's current MO. So maybe him and one other ? We will have another £85million left to spend after all.
A welcome return to our television screens last night. Just the slightest mention of his name sends fear and dread throughout the Dalek community.
We need a Doctor right now and someone who spreads fear into the football community, at the slightest mention of his name.
Oh yeah....we have that someone don't we.......FERGIE!!!!
Vidic is right, let us attack Bayern from the go and let them know why OT is the theatre of dreams. Team suggestion: VDS, Rafael, Vidic, Rio, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani, Berbatov, Macheda
doc savage - good job you aint a biology teacher pal....the elbow in question appears to be the back of the lower arm in the chest....no wonder you get so many ridiculous decisions at your gaff if thatys your thinking. as for mr vidic, why does he care when he'll be off to a bigger and better club soon.
With Berbaflop leading the line, what on earth is there to be positive about!?!?!
2 big games and 2 big defeats. Plus Rooney injured. I suppose it can't get any worse......can it?? Try telling Bayern that.
Go on Vidic say what you like your wife has already said that you will be moving to Spain in a few months.
Ardwic Green @ 17.00 God man are you being truthful or just very bitter, He He.
Interesting points Doc, I just think this season should never have been approached in this manner. I understand the rationale behind it, but given that we had none of our competitors improving but rather losing players (Chelsea have aged and have imv missed their best player, Essien) and we were looking towards getting 19 titles and be on course for 4 in a row (though I think the former is infinitely more important than the latter) I think we really should have addressed our midfield concerns.
I agree with you on Carrick, he would be decent if just a squad player, but I think Anderson and Obertan both have bags of ability. We really could have done with a fit Anderson now...
I still say a great manager needs a great number 2, and that number 2 can push youngsters forward in the selection at the expense of lesser sentimentality.
Agree with you also on Macheda, personally I would love to see us playing 442 in all the games that are left with Macheda playing in all the games til Rooney comes back and maybe linking them two together and see what comes of it. The kid needs to play.