Just days after being knocked out of the Champions League, United’s Premier League ambitions also suffered a blow on Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 at Bournemouth.
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Marouane Fellaini levelled for the visitors, who were without nine first-team regulars at the Vitality Stadium, but former United youngster Joshua King sealed the three points for Bournemouth with a finish from a low corner-kick.
Manchester United’s Champions League exit this week has put Louis van Gaal back in the spotlight again. “But it is a matter of belief, if you believe in this manager or not, because that is the most important thing. But of course you see that there is a gap and you have to sniff that and we didn’t sniff that”.
The second half burst into life in the 53rd minute when Simon Francis did brilliant to ghost through the United defence and force De Gea into a near-post save.
Bournemouth looked the more likely of either side to get the fourth goal of the evening but it remained 2-1 to give the Cherries only their second win in 10 Premier League games.
“It’s been a tough one to take, very disappointing week”, says midfielder Carrick.
“They have done everything, but they have lost”.
“And then we shall do our job, but it is more hard to prepare a game against Norwich when you have lost twice in a row”.
After United’s loss at Vfl Wolfsburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, goals from Junior Stanislas and former United player Josh King consigned them to another wounding defeat. “That’s there, that’s obvious for everyone to see”, the 34-year-old added.
On a day when Javier Hernandez netted a hat-trick for Bayer Leverkusen and James Wilson found the net for Brighton, United finished with Powell – just returning from a year out with knee trouble – as a striker.
“For me, the equation for Van Gaal is simple: It is the title or bust”.
“I think he’s handled himself with real dignity throughout the process, and to play the way he did today, with the emotions running through his body, I can’t credit him enough for that”. “When I was standing there watching the Morecambe game, never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined that we would be beating Manchester United in the Premier League”.
“You have to try something and we were not the dominant team so you have to change something in the position of the players, so you hope that he contributes to the making of a goal and we have tried that”.
“We have now to win three matches in a row for example, to be there still after Christmas”.
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“McNair had cramp, he hasn’t played much this season”, van Gaal said.
