Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal claimed last night that his team are defending well, despite their 5-3 humiliation at Leicester.
United head into tomorrow’s home game with West Ham at Old Trafford still reeling from Sunday’s embarrassment and missing 10 players through injury and suspension.
Van Gaal says he is determined to get to the root cause of the physical problems his players are suffering and is looking at the club’s day-to-day training methods in minute detail.
However, the Dutch coach still feels there has been an over-reaction to events at Leicester, which saw his team concede a 3-1 advantage in the final half-hour to suffer one of their worst Barclays Premier League defeats in recent memory.
Asked if he felt any sense of panic, Van Gaal said: ‘No. It is happening, it’s about overcoming it. It’s not a regular occurrence when you see our figures in the Premier League. Except (for) this match, we are defending well, our average is less than one and we scored a lot of goals.
‘I think we are fifth or sixth in terms of goals, I don’t know. I see the difficulty as, more or less, a lot of journalists. I say only that you are looking the other way. Maybe you can listen very carefully.
‘We have had some wins and should have (had more) wins. When you are 3-1 ahead after 60 minutes you have to win. Then we are two points off second in the table. But because of the loss we are sitting here and you are talking like that and questioning me like that.
‘If we had won this game it was a different story, so you don’t have to make an incident sound as if it is a regular basis. We will overcome and the season lasts more than one competition day.’
Van Gaal confirmed Sportsmail’s story of yesterday that defender Chris Smalling had become the latest player to break down in training. Smalling will join Jonny Evans and Phil Jones on the sidelines, while Tyler Blackett is suspended after being sent off at the King Power Stadium. The manager added: ‘I have to admit that I’m never in this situation before, so that’s strange, and that is also what I have said in former press conferences.
‘For me it’s difficult to understand, because we are evaluating what we can do in a different way, but you have to train on a certain level because otherwise you can’t play a game.
‘I’ve already said I will adapt to a certain level but I cannot train lower because then you can’t perform in the right way.
‘We have a lot of injuries, nine injuries now, and Blackett suspended, so that means that 10 are out. All the three right sided centre halves are out.
‘Evans is a very difficult thing. His bone is bruised a lot and we have to wait and see — and evaluate.
‘Smalling, yesterday in a training session he ran out because he had stiff legs so we’ll wait and see what that’s meaning, but I don’t take risks. You have to be fit and I always trust younger players.
‘So I have to go to the youth team to pick players and I have also said that in former press conferences. The younger players can pick their chances now and that’s also the policy of this club. I have read that differently in the media, but it’s like that.’
Van Gaal read his team the riot act after Sunday’s defeat but refused to blame them yesterday for one of the most bizarre United performances of recent times.
He added: ‘I don’t think my players are robots, they are human beings and I think that human beings make errors and faults. I’m a manager who always wants to evaluate and discuss. That’s the way I do it and I have done it this week also.
‘The young players are always ready. They have hunger to play. Manchester United youth education has a certain level that can provide that.
‘It’s a big difference from youth level to Premier League but in one game you can show yourself better than regular.’
Asked if this was the hardest challenge he had faced in his career, Van Gaal was candid.
He said: ‘At this moment, maybe, but you have to see in a year and not in one week when we have nine injuries and a red card. I don’t think that you can judge the effect.
‘As a manager you already know in advance that it’s a big challenge and this club is in a transition. Now we are in very difficult circumstances again but we can win.’– Daily Mail