VALENCIA: POSITIVES WILL PUSH US ON
Antonio Valencia says there has been "a great vibe" around the Manchester United dressing room in the wake of last weekend's derby comeback and the full-back insists it's another positive on which to build for next season.
After overcoming leaders City last weekend, the Reds will face bottom-placed West Bromwich Albion on Sunday at Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho's men looking to finish the season as strongly as possible.
Valencia reflected on the derby win during a sit-down interview with United Review, the official matchday programme, and talked about the confidence it, and other excellent victories over Liverpool and Chelsea recently, have given the squad.
"After the game on Saturday, of course it was a fantastic feeling and, two days later when you come back into training, it still felt brilliant and that great vibe stays with you," he explained. "You carry it with you into the next training sessions which is what we’ve done.
"I think we’ve done really well in key games. Those good results and performances only serve to motivate us even more for the rest of this season and especially for next season as well.
"It's like a message that we’re sending to ourselves and it has extra motivation for us. It reinforces the fact we have a great squad, a great team and a strong dressing room, ahead of the next season, which will hopefully be a great one for us."
Mourinho pointed out recently that his side have made very positive steps forward this term with more points recorded, more goals scored and fewer conceded. And Valencia feels the team have made important progress which the Reds will aim to build on further in 2018/19.
"I think it’s positive thoughts throughout when you look back on things," he declared. "We’ve scored more goals, picked up more points, conceded fewer and I think we’ve played better. You want to take that forward into next season and try to put things right that maybe haven’t gone so well this season and improve upon results in games.
"We want to win even more games and not slip up in the type of the matches where we might have slipped up this season. All that considered, it’s looking good for next season and let’s hope we can be fighting for every trophy that’s available to us."
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