Reds must turn tide

THE pressure will be on Manchester United to deliver when they visit Premier League leaders Chelsea on Sunday (2pm).

After a laboured and uninspiring start to the season, the Reds can ill afford a further setback at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea can open a nine-point lead over United with victory, a sizeable advantage at this early stage of the season even allowing for the fact they have played one extra game.

A haul of four points from their four league matches would be United’s return should they lose at Chelsea.

And even though manager Sir Alex Ferguson maintains the Reds will be back to peak form by next month, they would have a huge task to catch a Chelsea side desperate to regain the Premier League crown after seeing United triumph for the last two seasons.

New Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, a former Brazilian World Cup-winning coach, has already stamped his mark on the team since taking charge this summer.

Chelsea are playing with a freedom and style far removed from the solid and functional displays under previous boss Jose Mourinho.

Scolari gave the Manchester public a glimpse of Chelsea’s more adventurous approach when they defeated City 3-1 at Eastlands.

And in midweek they rattled four more goals past hapless French side Bordeaux to kick off their Champions League campaign in style.

Another difference between Mourinho and Scolari is the new manager’s abandonment of the squad-rotation system.

Scolari fielded exactly the same side against Bordeaux that appeared at City, something which was unthinkable during the reign of the ‘Special One.’

There is little doubt United have a formidable task ahead of them, especially with Nemanja Vidic banned after his sending-off in the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool.

Chelsea will be lifted by captain John Terry’s availability after he won an appeal against his sending-off at City.

And they are sure to gain further strength from the knowledge that United’s last Premier League win at Stamford Bridge was in December, 2001.