Manager Louis Van Gaal admitted, “The result is okay and there is no escape, we won”.
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United needed a stoppage-time Wayne Rooney penalty to overcome the League One side after producing another drab display that saw droves of home fans leave before the final whistle at Old Trafford.
“There are matches that I’ve enjoyed very much”, said Van Gaal.
He added: “There are many reasons why someone might leave early”.
‘When I am looking at matches to analyse an opponent, I have done that also – I leave the stadium five minutes before.
“Do you know that”, Van Gaal snapped during an edgy press conference at Carrington. “You could see us as a football club really come together”. Sometimes the players who are on our sideline we can influence but if we can only influence one player then the individual player has to communicate with the other players. You can be very negative.
“It wasn’t a great performance, will he (Van Gaal) be happy with it?”
“We have reconsidered and we think we have to build him up for the game and not to risk too much, by putting him in a match”.
“It shall be hard of course”, Van Gaal said, when asked if he would be fit.
“We can not say that because when there is a chance to make a selection better, we shall do it but I do not think we shall”.
Scores of supporters left the ground in the second half and former United midfielder Paul Scholes said the players and manager looked “bored” during the match.
The under-pressure Dutchman also acknowledged the Man United fans’ frustration when they ironically cheered their side’s first meaningful attack in the 65th minute against Sheffield United on Saturday evening.
United labored past Sheffield United 1-0 at Old Trafford, and Manchester City emphatically defeated Norwich 3-0. Ok, I see their game against Arsenal and they played very well.
Van Gaal insists he does want to play a more attacking game when circumstances allow with his latest test set to come against struggling Newcastle United in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
Newcastle fans jeered their team off after they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round for the fourth successive season after losing 1-0 at Watford on Saturday. “And with Memphis and Lingard, I know it is like that”.
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“I trust these players also because Pereira is coming in and was a very good substitute, I think”.
