“You have to win this kind of game”, Van Gaal said.
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United were ultimately undone by two set plays with Wahbi Khazri’s third-minute free-kick evading goalkeeper David de Gea, who could later only help Lamine Kone’s header from a Khazri corner into his own net after Anthony Martial had levelled.
“We have given five points away against Chelsea and now Sunderland, so it is too much at this time”, he added. We created chances in the second half, we could have scored also but that is not the problem. You don’t know how this league works at times but we know it will be hard to finish top four now. They are a club of status and want to be at that level, if not more.
“After this match, the Europa League is our best route but it will not be easy because there are so many good teams”. “We can only blame ourselves”.
And Van Gaal has since stepped forward to address the rumours by stating he would feel betrayed by United’s owners if he were to be shown the door now.
“I’m under no more pressure”, he said. I can not say it in another way.
“It’s a big disappointment”. In the circumstances, it’s very disappointing.
“We needed to win this game because of the big gap between the top four and we want to be there”.
United got hold of the game in the second half but could only control possession without troubling the Sunderland defence. “It is not a question of being let down because the players wanted to deliver but because they don’t deliver today you are disappointed and frustrated but we are working together and pulling at the same string.”Injury to Matteo Darmian: “It is unbelievable”.
“But you will always be compared to your opponents in aggression, and their hunger and aggression was higher than ours”.
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Asked if he felt he had been treated unfairly by the club in comparison to Van Gaal, however, Moyes was philosophical.
