Now that Manchester United are “back on track”, I guess we can talk about the race for the Premier League top four.
It’s shaping up to be a rollercoaster of a ride, with United currently in the fourth Champions League qualification spot, West Ham, Arsenal, Wolves and Tottenham in hot pursuit.
So let’s jump straight into, with the Red Devils.
Writing about United this season has been tricky, because having signed world-class defender Raphael Varane, exciting winger Jadon Sancho and the great Cristiano Ronaldo, expectations were high.
But results and performances have been so disappointing, it cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his job in November and there is little evidence that things are looking up under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
Still, I’ve been written to by United fans who have complained that I’ve been negative and just unqualified to have similar opinions to Roy Keane and Paul Scholes.
Maar nou ja. Let me give a rose-tinted view on the Red Devils after their morale-boosting win over Brighton on Tuesday night, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal in six games and United won their first game after a winless run, which includes getting knocked out of the FA Cup.
Under Rangnick, they have been playing edge-of-the-seat stuff.
But after that 2-0 victory over 10-man Brighton, they will have a shot of confidence thanks to a clean sheet for the Harry Maguire-led defence.
They will be vol gees for next week’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash against Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, who will have Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann back in Diego Simeone’s plannetjies.
With Europe to sharpen them up, it’s a trip to their noisy neighbours Manchester City, followed by a showdown with rivals Spurs.
Then it’s the second leg against Atletico before a trip to Anfield on March 20.
After that they also face off with Arsenal and Chelsea. Luckily for United, the chasing pack have games in hand. So the extra pressure will really give them more motivation.
But let’s be serious for a second. It doesn’t look like a great run-in for United.
However, they are United and with the talent that they have in the squad, writing them off would be as dom as to say they are a shoo-in for the top four.
Right behind them on the log are West Ham, who will be hoping to finish stronger than last year when they missed out on a Champions League place by just three points.
Once again they have a helse run-in, with rivals Spurs and Arsenal, as well as meetings with Liverpool, City and Chelsea, not to mention a paar relegation dogfighters.
They will do well to stay in it. But obviously, match-ups with Spurs and Arsenal will be key.
Two points behind, but with three games in hand are the Gunners.
Sounds great for the fans, until they realise those three games are against Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea.
At the start of the season, after missing out on European football for the first time in 25 years, Mikel Arteta’s job would have been to get them back into the continent.
But after bringing a lot of young talent and clearing out a vrag stale players, Arsenal are short on momentum and player stocks after a cull in January.
With a worrying spate of red cards, any injuries will be disastrous and the two strikers they have left at the club have four league goals between them this term.
Any fixture for Arsenal is tricky and a visit from United in late April could be crucial if they can take their campaign that deep.
Wolves are next and they have been impressing under new coach Bruno Lage.
With just 17 goals conceded all season, only City have a better defensive record.
Six points off fourth place with two games in hand means they will be a force to be reckoned with if they can add to their 21 goals.
And then finally we have Spurs.
It’s been another rough season for them.
Antonio Conte arrived in November to coach a group of players, the majority of which played in the 2019 Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino.
Conte is a great motivator, but even he will struggle where Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo failed.
With the Italian moaning non-stop, the signs don’t look Spurs.
But with them being seven points behind United with three games in hand, they are still in it.
With none of the five teams chasing that priceless fourth place really convincing, you can be this will be nerve-wracking for any fan with skin in the game.
Points in the bag matter though, and with United out in front, it’s their race to lose.