Manchester United vs Sheffield United - Nigel Adkins admires opposite number Louis van Gaal ahead of FA Cup tie

Posted Friday, January 08, 2016 by PA

Nigel Adkins admires Louis van Gaal's style and substance, but the Sheffield United manager may well end the Dutchman's Manchester United reign if he can mastermind a giant-killing this weekend.

One of the plum draws of the FA Cup third round sees the Sky Bet League One play-off hopefuls make the short trip across the Pennines to Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

A bruised United side lie in wait after a difficult campaign, which saw them end 2015 without a win in eight matches - their worst run since 1989-90.

The relief was palpable after ending that streak against Swansea last weekend, but the style in which Van Gaal has the Red Devils playing continues to irk many United fans.

Former players have also taken aim at the Dutchman's style, but Adkins, who has never played or managed at Old Trafford before, considers him amongst the best.

"I am really looking forward to meeting Mr Van Gaal," the Sheffield United boss told Press Association Sport.

"He is a vastly-experienced manager with an unbelievable amount of trophies and plays great football, possession-based football.

"Maybe the supporters might see it a different way - everyone is different with it.

"But he's an experienced manager, he can deal with the situation and it's not for me to talk about the situation he's in.

"I think every football manager realises that you've got to be winning games of football."

That does not always guarantee you will keep your place, though, as Adkins knows all too well from his time at Southampton.

Back-to-back promotions from League One and a solid start to life in the Barclays Premier League was not enough to keep his job at St Mary's, where Mauricio Pochettino was controversially brought in by divisive chairman Nicola Cortese in January 2013.

Following a difficult spell at Reading, Adkins is now trying to take the Blades back up to the top flight - a challenge he accepts will be much harder at Bramall Lane than it was at Southampton.

The Blades sit eighth in League One and remain in the promotion hunt, but the main focus now is on making the 8,500 visiting supporters at Old Trafford proud.

"I can't wait," Adkins said. "The Theatre of Dreams, third round of the FA Cup, Manchester United v Sheffield United - it's all to play for.

"There's three results on offer, two of them we will be happy with.

"It's odds-on that Manchester United have a good chance of getting one of the results as well.

"You look at them and they're fifth in the Premier League and we're eighth in League One. There's a gulf, right?

"But it's the FA Cup, it's the beauty of it, the drama of it and who knows?

"On any given day it has been proved that someone can win and why can't it be us?"

There may be a sizeable gap between the sides, but there are a number of links between the Uniteds.

Dean Hammond and Billy Sharp were key members of the Southampton side promoted from the Championship in 2011-12, as was France international Morgan Schneiderlin.

The Manchester United midfielder was part of the Saints side that rose from League One under Adkins, whose coaching staff of Andy Crosby and Dean Wilkins have followed him to South Yorkshire.

"It'll be nice to see him again and I'm delighted to see what he is doing," Adkins said of Schneiderlin.

"All the players that we've worked with before you keep an eye out on and to see Morgan now being a French international playing in the Premier League (is great).

"The way he has grown into such a great football player and a good human being is just wonderful to see."

Van Gaal will not be able to call upon Adnan Januzaj for the game, despite the Belgian winger returning from a disappointing loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.

Januzaj is regarded as one of the best young players at Old Trafford, but did not start a league match for Dortmund during his five-month spell at the German club.

Van Gaal will give the 20-year-old another opportunity to impress, but he will have to turn out in a couple of under-21 games first to regain his fitness.

Speaking about Januzaj and Will Keane, who was recalled from his loan spell at Preston earlier this week, Van Gaal said: "They are coming to us to ask for a second chance and Manchester United is a club that takes care of all our players and I think it's a very good habit to have that.

"I believe in the talent of Adnan Januzaj. I said it would be very difficult to play matches in Dortmund and unfortunately I was right.

"He has been trained already this morning. But he didn't play so many 90-minute matches in one season and he has to show his fitness in the second team.

"We have to wait and see if his (clearance) papers are right. If he can play Monday in the second team (at Reading) he shall play in the second team."

Van Gaal confirmed Phil Jones is out of Saturday's game because of an ankle injury he suffered against Swansea, while Ashley Young is likely to be rested. Jesse Lingard has recovered from the hamstring injury that has kept him out for the last month, however..