Juan Mata has claimed that "things are going to change" at Manchester United following a string of disappointing results.

Louis van Gaal's side have had a troubled season so far and they face a potential banana skin when they take on Shrewsbury Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup this evening.

Last week, United suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Danish side FC Midtjylland in the first leg of their last-32 clash in the Europa League.

Despite a bleak few weeks, Mata is confident that the Red Devils can still challenge for trophies and a Champions League spot.

In his weekly blog, the midfielder wrote: "Unfortunately, we are still going through complicated moments. I know that you don't need to read more posts like this one, or more words from me or my teammates trying to explain every game. I know that you need wins, and obviously we need them too.

"But I take this weekly encounter with you to tell you that I'm sure things are going to change. We have the opportunity to move forward in such a nice competition as the FA Cup, the possibility of a comeback in the Europa League after our bad game in Denmark in the first leg, and there are still some weeks in the Premier League to try to shorten the gap with other teams and fight for the Champions League spots. All those things can happen.

"However, we must get better with regard to the last few games. And I'm sure that we will do it. The first goal is an away win against Shrewsbury Town. It's the game of the year for them and if we don't give our maximum they will be tough to beat."

Widespread reports have claimed that former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is a strong contender to replace Van Gaal in the summer.