Nigel Adkins admires Louis van Gaal's style and
substance, but the Sheffield United manager may
well end the Dutchman's Manchester United
reign if he can mastermind a giant-killing this
weekend.
One of the plum draws of the FA Cup third round
sees the Sky Bet League One play-off hopefuls
make the short trip across the Pennines to Old
Trafford on Saturday evening.
A bruised United side lie in wait after a difficult
campaign, which saw them end 2015 without a
win in eight matches - their worst run since
1989-90.
The relief was palpable after ending that streak
against Swansea last weekend, but the style in
which Van Gaal has the Red Devils playing
continues to irk many United fans.
Former players have also taken aim at the
Dutchman's style, but Adkins, who has never
played or managed at Old Trafford before,
considers him amongst the best.
"I am really looking forward to meeting Mr Van
Gaal," the Sheffield United boss told Press
Association Sport.
"He is a vastly-experienced manager with an
unbelievable amount of trophies and plays great
football, possession-based football.
"Maybe the supporters might see it a different
way - everyone is different with it.
"But he's an experienced manager, he can deal
with the situation and it's not for me to talk
about the situation he's in.
"I think every football manager realises that
you've got to be winning games of football."
That does not always guarantee you will keep
your place, though, as Adkins knows all too well
from his time at Southampton.
Back-to-back promotions from League One and
a solid start to life in the Barclays Premier
League was not enough to keep his job at St
Mary's, where Mauricio Pochettino was
controversially brought in by divisive chairman
Nicola Cortese in January 2013.
Following a difficult spell at Reading, Adkins is
now trying to take the Blades back up to the top
flight - a challenge he accepts will be much
harder at Bramall Lane than it was at
Southampton.
The Blades sit eighth in League One and remain
in the promotion hunt, but the main focus now is
on making the 8,500 visiting supporters at Old
Trafford proud.
"I can't wait," Adkins said. "The Theatre of
Dreams, third round of the FA Cup, Manchester
United v Sheffield United - it's all to play for.
"There's three results on offer, two of them we
will be happy with.
"It's odds-on that Manchester United have a
good chance of getting one of the results as
well.
"You look at them and they're fifth in the
Premier League and we're eighth in League One.
There's a gulf, right?
"But it's the FA Cup, it's the beauty of it, the
drama of it and who knows?
"On any given day it has been proved that
someone can win and why can't it be us?"
There may be a sizeable gap between the sides,
but there are a number of links between the
Uniteds.
Dean Hammond and Billy Sharp were key
members of the Southampton side promoted
from the Championship in 2011-12, as was
France international Morgan Schneiderlin.
The Manchester United midfielder was part of the
Saints side that rose from League One under
Adkins, whose coaching staff of Andy Crosby and
Dean Wilkins have followed him to South
Yorkshire.
"It'll be nice to see him again and I'm delighted
to see what he is doing," Adkins said of
Schneiderlin. "All the players that we've worked
with before you keep an eye out on and to see
Morgan now being a French international playing
in the Premier League (is great).
"The way he has grown into such a great
football player and a good human being is just
wonderful to see."
Adkins could be boosted by the return of Matt
Done after a hamstring complaint.
There were fears that the Salford-born forward
could be out for a prolonged spell after limping
out of the win against Bradford on December 28,
but he returned to training on Thursday.
Van Gaal will not be able to call upon Adnan
Januzaj for the game, despite the Belgian winger
returning from a disappointing loan spell at
Borussia Dortmund.
Januzaj is regarded as one of the best young
players at Old Trafford, but did not start a
league match for Dortmund during his five-month
spell at the German club.
Van Gaal will give the 20-year-old another
opportunity to impress, but he will have to turn
out in a couple of under-21 games first to regain
his fitness.
Speaking about Januzaj and Will Keane, who was
recalled from his loan spell at Preston earlier this
week, Van Gaal said: "They are coming to us to
ask for a second chance and Manchester United
is a club that takes care of all our players and I
think it's a very good habit to have that.
"I believe in the talent of Adnan Januzaj. I said it
would be very difficult to play matches in
Dortmund and unfortunately I was right.
"He has been trained already this morning. But
he didn't play so many 90-minute matches in
one season and he has to show his fitness in the
second team.
"We have to wait and see if his (clearance)
papers are right. If he can play Monday in the
second team (at Reading) he shall play in the
second team."
Van Gaal confirmed Phil Jones is out of
Saturday's game because of an ankle injury he
suffered against Swansea, while Ashley Young is
likely to be rested. Jesse Lingard has recovered
from the hamstring injury that has kept him out
for the last month, however..



Head to head
at old Trafford
Apr 17, 2007 Man Utd 2-0 SHEF (Premier
League)

at Bramall lane
Nov 18, 2006 SHEF 1-2 Man Utd (Premier
League)