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Shrewsbury vs Manchester United: Chris Smalling demands 'aggressive' start from Louis van Gaal's side

The 26-year-old and his team-mates travel to Greenhous Meadow on the back of a dismal Europa League defeat at Midtjylland

Mark Critchley
Monday 22 February 2016 12:17 GMT
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Manchester United defender Chris Smalling
Manchester United defender Chris Smalling

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling wants to make an aggressive start during his side’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Shrewsbury Town on Monday.

The 26-year-old and his team-mates travel to Greenhous Meadow on the back of a dismal 2-1 Europa League defeat to Midtjylland which intensified speculation regarding to future of manager Louis van Gaal.

Smalling is confident that his side will bounce back from last week’s disappointment and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the domestic cup competition, but only if they match the intensity of their League One opponents.

“The aggression that you start the game with is something you need to match with the other team, something that I don’t think we have done recently,” he told the club’s television channel MUTV.

“We need to make sure we win our battles and our second balls and then when it starts to die down we can overcome them with our football.

“This competition is massive for us, particularly because we’re not fighting at the top of the league like we expected to be,” he added.

United currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, while Shrewsbury are 21st in English football’s third tier, inside the relegation zone on goal difference.

Van Gaal’s men are firm favourites for Monday’s cup tie and, although Smalling is wary of the pressure which comes with such status, he expects his side to rise to the occasion.

“We can expect a terrific atmosphere on Monday, but that is something we always seem to rise to,” he said. "We have done well in recent years against lower-league sides away from home and we know what to expect.”

“It’s surprising how long this club has gone since winning the FA Cup, but I think that makes everyone hungrier. We shouldn't be away from winning a competition like this for so long.”

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