For the past couple of weeks Rafa and some of our players have given several interviews stating that United are feeling the pressure, will crack, will slip up etc. The intention, of course, is to generate anxiety in them so that they'll end up dropping points.
I'm just not so sure this is a good tactic. In my opinion it just serves to motivate them and keep them on their toes. When United were well in front and everyone said the race is over, that's when they dropped points. I'm not saying we should give up, just that the talk about how it's not over be kept behind close walls.
Just say publicly that it's going to be very difficult, but that we'll of course try to win every match. Leave it at that. That would work much better in my opinion. If it lulls them into a false sense of security, fine. If it doesn't, that means they're worrying, but then that worry is self-generated, not something that's being put on them by their hardest opponent and is easier to deal with.
Fergie did the same thing a couple of seasons ago, when Chelsea were just in front in the run-in. He kept saying how Chelsea were under pressure and would slip up, but it just seemed to make them more determined not to drop a single point. Just keep it low-key, I say, that's confuse the hell out of them!