Manchester United are entering the most critical stage of the season, Nemanja Vidic says in an exclusive interview in the latest issue of Inside United magazine, on sale from Wednesday.
In January and February, the Reds are aiming to achieve a sustained run of league form to climb up the table, book a place at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final and build enough momentum to carry the team into the knockout phase of the Champions League, with a last 16 tie against Olympiacos on 25 February.
Straight-talking Vida tackles a variety of subjects in an in-depth interview with the official magazine, including his assessment of United's season so far, the aims for 2014, Adnan Januzaj's meteoric rise and his own lead-by-example style of captaincy.
But the main topic is United's immediate form and focus. Vidic says: "We have to win regularly and in the next month we will know exactly where we are. By the end of January and start of February we will show what our position is and what our capability is in the Premier League. Then, of course, the Champions League starts up again. This is an important time for us and we all want to do well."
On his style of leadership, Vidic discusses why, despite his hard-man image, he is not one to scream and bawl in the dressing room, even when times are tough.
"You have to always be together as a team," he said. "That's important. If you have a bad result you have to concentrate on doing the right things in training and with your behaviour, then in the matches. You try to lead by example first in the dressing room, then out on the pitch.
"We are lucky here because there are so many players who are experienced and mature people, they help the team try to achieve what we want to do."
Nemanja also speaks about his approach to his responsibilities as captain, saying: "Football has changed, generations change. You lead by example now. You have to respect your team-mates; if you respect them, you get respect back. You support them, talk to them, encourage them if needed.
"The manager is a good character and does that [manages the squad] but it's up to the players too. We're a group and it's a group responsibility to deal with those situations."
source - Man Utd Official Website