Man United Might Have to Change January Plans If Champions League Is on the Line

Speaking to Manchester United's investors on a conference call to announce the club's first quarter financial results, Ed Woodward gave the game away.

He began by insisting United were moving "in the right direction" both on and off the pitch. But then came the inevitable question about the January transfer window.

He tried to play down the prospect of United spending more money in the new year. But his insistence that there would be no "short-term fixes" only hinted there was something that needed to be fixed.

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We're not looking to enter the market for short-term fixes. 

However, we have targets that we are looking at for next summer and should any of those become available in January, which is rare, we will consider acting.

But in terms of expectations we all need to recognise that's a low probability.

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The inference from Woodward is that, despite the board's support of Louis van Gaal, things haven't quite gone according to plan so far this season. The minimum target for the Dutchman is to finish in the top four and get back into the Champions League at the earliest possible opportunity.

But after 11 games, United are seventh, two points behind West Ham in fourth. Games against Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool in the next month should reveal more about their chances of finishing in the top four come the end of the season.

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Two points off the top four in mid-November, it's easy for Woodward to insist United aren't in the market for a quick fix. But if the results continue to be inconsistent and the injury list doesn't begin to clear, a hunt in the January sales will start to look more and more tempting.

Ultimately, it will be up to Van Gaal to decide if he needs reinforcements. Woodward made that clear in the summer. But before Van Gaal rules out new signings, he will have to be confident he can keep Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Marcos Rojo fit.

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All four have had spells on the sidelines this season. Their continued absence would put a lot of pressure on Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair in their first season on the first-team squad, and Michael Carrick and Daley Blind aren't long-term solutions to the problem. 

Woodward will hope he doesn't have to dip into the transfer market in January. After all, it's much easier to do your business in the summer. But if a place in next season's Champions League is on the line, the temptation might become too much to resist.