The Big One: Slav sounds a warning

Slaven Blic has sounded a big note of caution as the Irons go into their massive FA Cup replay against Manchester United tonight (Wed).

Foe he says quite simply: “What worries me is every time United are in trouble, they always pull out a result.”

And Lous Van Gaal’s under fire position is probably another threat and – as one might expect – Slav has sympathy for a fellow manager.

He said: “I have sympathy for every fellow manager, but what is unbelievably difficult is to be the manager of one of those massive clubs where they think you have to win every game.

“A club of the stature of Manchester United is not happy with losing games and being fifth in the table.

“We are sixth and we are happy. But United are above us in the table and they are still mad.”

He was surprised by the second-half capitulation at White Hart Lane which appears to have put LVG on the brink for the umpteenth time this season adding: “You can talk about United not playing flair football, about not being attractive or being too direct, but they were always really solid.

“Make no mistake, we will respect them because they have played in hundreds of games like this and we know what they are capable of.

“When you play a team like United, no matter if they are coming off a defeat or a 5-0 win, you have to have a complete game.

“You need to be great in every aspect on every part of the pitch.

“Before most games the chairman mails me the odds and there are very few times when we are favourites — usually we are underdogs.

“I am not a gambler so I don’t know a lot about these things, but in this game at home I think we are the slight favourites and I expect us to beat them. My players are not going to be afraid.”

And of weekend hat-trick hero Andy Carroll he declarerd: “When he is fit and in form, he is a very special player. Every time he has been fit he has changed games for us.

“He gives us another dimension because he is hard to mark and difficult for defenders to cope with.”