Manchester United will use last year’s title failure as motivation to ensure they regain the Premier League crown, says Danny Welbeck.
United’s 2-1 home defeat to local rivals Manchester City on Monday means they have a 12-point lead at the top with seven games to go and some people have suggested Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are again faltering at just the wrong time.
City overcame an eight-point gap with six games to go in 2012 to win the title on goal difference on the final day of the season, but Welbeck says there is no chance of something similar happening this year.
“As a United player you know how vital it is to win every game,” the striker said. “But what happened last season shows that every single game, every single point and every single goal is crucial.”
United beat Sunderland on the last day before City saw off QPR in injury-time and Welbeck remembers it well, with Fergie pointing out to the players 12 months ago they must not experience it again.
“I’ll never forget the manager coming on the bus after the Sunderland game last season,” he added. “He said to the younger players, ‘remember this feeling, it will turn you into men and make you bigger and better players and people’. None of us want to feel like that again.
“What happened has given us the motivation to improve and it has reminded us that there can be no complacency. Every single minute on the pitch matters.”