BRIAN LAWS took a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book on mind-games by claiming the pressure will all be on Manchester United today – and that the reigning champions are going through ‘‘a sticky patch’’.
Laws’ first match as a Premier League manager will see him take Burnley to Old Trafford searching for what would be an amazing double following the Clarets’ 1-0 win at Turf Moor in August.
The 48-year-old also claimed that the whole country will be behind the Lancashire side.
Laws said: ‘‘There’s an air of confidence in the camp and the pressure has totally transferred on to Manchester United.
‘‘They are having a sticky moment and this may be a good time to play them. We will go there with no fear and they will be very wary about whether Burnley will do the double over them.
‘‘Burnley deserved the result at the start of the season and the whole country was delighted. It gave a realism back to football and this was what Burnley had been waiting for for 30 years.
‘‘There’s no reason why they can’t go and do it again, everything is possible.’’ Laws trod the Old Trafford turf regularly as a player when he was a full-back in Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest side, but this will be the first time he has crossed swords with Ferguson directly.
And though Laws is no connoisseur of fine wines he will present Ferguson – whose habit it is to treat visiting managers to a post-match tipple – with a crate of the finest vintage if today’s visit ends in glory.
‘‘I know he likes a glass of wine after the match and I shall have to bring a nice bottle for him,’’ added Laws.
‘‘I’m not particularly keen on wine personally but I’ll give him a crate if it gives us the points!’’ Ferguson is one of the few who can beat Laws’ number of games as a league manager in England but the former Sheffield Wednesday, Scunthorpe and Grimsby boss has until now plied his trade in the lower divisions racking up around 700 matches in charge.
‘‘I don’t really need to justify it but people keep saying ’you haven’t got any managerial experience in the Premier League and they are right but I can quite whitewash anybody in terms of games,’’ added Laws.
‘‘It’s about managing people and football clubs and we are in the Premiership but it nothing different to anywhere apart from being with better players.’’
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