30 December,2011 11:45 AM IST | | ANI
Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia believes that the double knock outs from the Carling Cup and the Champions League has actually stimulated a response from the team.
United have been on a ruthless streak of form since crashing out of the Champions League after they were beaten by Swiss team, FC Basel 2-1 in their final match of the qualifying stage.
They have played four games since then and won all of them while scoring 16 goals in the process and conceding only one.
They have also erased the five-point difference between them and league leaders, Manchester City.
The English champions can be at the top of the table if they manage to beat Blackburn at Old Trafford on the News Year's Eve since City will play their match a day later.
"Those defeats have really focused our minds. I suppose both results were unexpected, certainly the defeat in the Carling Cup was a huge shock", said Valencia.
He further labeled United's early exit from the Champions League as the biggest bluster for the team.
"The biggest blow is the Champions League because we're a big club and we're expected to be fighting to win the competition, not just qualify from the group. We reached the final last season and it hurts to go out so early but we''re using that hurt," he added.
He also said that the players were now training much harder and with much more vigor.
He believes that the players are determined to win rest of the trophies that are left to be won whether it's the Premier League, the FA Cup or the Europa League.
