Elsewhere the Daily Express claims that Van Gaal will not be under threat even if Manchester United crash out of the Champions League tomorrow night versus Wolfsburg.
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United’s England striker Wayne Rooney is out with an ankle injury, but United boss Van Gaal says it’s up to the players chosen to score the goals at Wolfsburg’s Volkswagen Arena to keep United in Europe.
PSV play CSKA Moscow in the other remaining group stage fixture with the Eredivisie outfit largely expected to get the win, which would lift them above United, should they fail to win in Germany.
Former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said that he would like to manage Manchester United should Louis van Gaal be sacked.
“But I’m convinced he will continue to do well and will score at the right moment again”.
“We have to give him time and that’s always hard when you are playing for a team like Manchester United because the expectations are very high”, said Van Gaal.
Nick Powell is back in the provisional first-team squad for the first time this season while youngsters Sean Goss, Andreas Pereira, Guillermo Varela and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson are also included. We have that belief, it’s just a matter of time, and I hope we can prove that here.
Still cutting the imposing figure that bossed the penalty area during his 1991-1999 spell at United, the 52-year old pointed to United’s dramatic 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final as an example of their character.
That is a far cry from the current United goal drought which led frustrated fans to boo their team and chant “attack, attack, attack” during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against West Ham.
With more than 60 per cent possession, the Foals turned that dominance into goals with Raffael putting the visitors ahead at the break.
This match came hot on the heels of United’s outstanding 3-1 win at Everton in the Premier League, but they appeared to leave their good work behind on Merseyside. “That’s why it’s important (we qualify)”.
“I have the experience as a manager that the goals shall come”, Van Gaal said. The 22-year-old is a different sort of creator from De Bruyne, not as proficient at delivering precision crosses from the wings, more at ease conniving in the space between opponents’ midfield and defence. So it is a very hard situation for United.
But the Wolves responded less than a minute later with Naldo heading in his second, his first third career Champions League goal, to book a place in the Last 16.
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Hecking told reporters: “It won’t be an easy game for Manchester United”. Wolfsburg are a decent side, especially at home, and I don’t see them losing this game. “We know we will get chances, and if we convert our opportunities we can have a great game against a great club”.
