“We know we have to improve our game”, said Spanish midfielder Juan Mata, likely to be the most senior United player on the Old Trafford pitch.
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Tonight’s side was already looking inexperienced, especially in defence where Michael Carrick will start at centre-back and another teenager, Joe Riley, at left-back. “And still we are going and going and going so I have to give a great compliment to my players because it’s not easy to do that”.
According to the Daily Mail, the players had 20 minutes each with Van Gaal in which they had to explain to him what went wrong, why the team is performing so badly, and for their own individual displays against the Danish outfit.
The Danish champions had taken the lead through Pione Sisto but Midtjylland’s Nikolay Bodurov scored an own goal before Mata missed a penalty as United seemed set to struggle again.
Manchester United must learn to ignore their critics as their performances may have been affected by the intense scrutiny the team have been under throughout the campaign, manager Louis van Gaal said on Wednesday. “That’s why it’s a fantastic step for them in their learning process, their development process”.
A cross from the right flank found Mata in the box on the left and he knocked it down towards the centre of the box where an unmarked Rashford came charging in and fired it home to make it 2-1 to the Red Devils and 3-3 on aggregate. “What is remarkable is that he stepped down himself”.
But an injury list now containing up to 14 players, including captain Wayne Rooney and goalkeeper David de Gea, is proving a problem for Van Gaal with United playing three games in six days this week. “I don’t think it is a muscle injury, he just said he felt his hamstring tighten”, the manager said.
“I’m not too sure I think it’s maybe something for when you’re 16 or 17 that happens and whether when you are in the first team I’m not too sure”.
Depay, whose form has been inconsistent since his summer move from PSV Eindhoven, looked in unstoppable form and van Gaal hopes his countryman can maintain that. “Most of the [Midtjylland] players shall be excited and it will be the match of their lives for majority”.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Will Keane picked up injuries at Shrewsbury and Chris Smalling faces a late fitness test after hurting his shoulder in that game.
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Memphis Depay who enjoyed a fine night on the wing, scored the fifth goal.
