West Bromwich Albion midfielder Darren Fletcher has claimed that Manchester United still have a chance of winning the Premier League title this season.
The Red Devils have suffered a tumultuous campaign in which the future of manager Louis van Gaal has been repeatedly questioned, but a run of four straight wins in all competitions has taken them through in the FA Cup and Europa League, in addition to closing the gap on the top four.
Another victory for Fletcher's former club against his current employers at The Hawthorns on Sunday would put them back level on points with fourth-placed Manchester City, and the Scotland international believes that Van Gaal is beginning to get to grips with managing in the Premier League.
"The scrutiny is there at Manchester United - I experienced that under Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes, that's just what it is at that club," Fletcher told reporters.
"The club's expected to win titles, challenging for the top four is not what the fans want, it's not good enough for Manchester United. That's the challenge that he's facing and I think he's realised that now. The form's picked up dramatically the last few weeks and the young lads have come in and done fantastically.
"They've found themselves in a position now where the top four is a realistic possibility and the title's not out of the question. I'm not saying they're going to win the league but they are thereabouts now and if anybody can put a run together they're probably going to go on and do it.[Van Gaal] is a fantastic coach, he's proved that. I think the Premier League has been a very difficult challenge for him, I think he'll be the first to admit that he's found it a lot more difficult than he expected."
West Brom also go into Sunday's match in good form, however, having lost just two of their 10 league games since Boxing Day.
Barney Corkhill
