The Dutchman oversaw his side overcome Everton 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday to book their place in the final as he looks to win his first piece of silverware since taking over at Old Trafford.
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Van Gaal’s own youthful frontline – and substitute – combined for the victor after Romelu Lukaku’s penalty was saved by United goalkeeper David de Gea and Chris Smalling scored a 75th-minute own goal.
United earned the right to return to Wembley to contest the final against either Crystal Palace or Watford, who play the other semi-final on Sunday, thanks to Anthony Martial’s injury-time victor.
After Marouane Fellaini’s opener, Everton were awarded a penalty midway through the second half when Timothy Fosu-Mensah was adjudged to have fouled Ross Barkley. We are lucky that we scored in the last minute, but we deserved to win.
‘We’re in the final now and we have a chance.
Jose Mourinho has signed a deal to become Manchester United’s next manager, according to reports in the English media.
“In the first season we had the record number of points in the Premier League and in the second the experience of Europe”.
“The referees are deciding the game and not the players any more”, Van Gaal told BBC Sport.
United have now reached the FA Cup final and a late stumble, or five, from Arsenal has given them every chance of claiming a Champions League spot.
“I’ve not made too many mistakes but that did cost us and I was cheering harder than most at the end”, he laughed. “Two weeks ago, everything was a disaster and this doesn’t change the whole thing”, he is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News. In addition to this, he believes the French forward can do much better in front of the goal.
Martial scored the victor and has enjoyed a brilliant debut season in English football, with no United player having scored more goals than the Frenchman since he joined from Monaco for £36.7million.
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“After that we scored the own-goal and it was 1-1, and then you saw we were showing our spirit. We were a little sluggish in the first half, we got the equaliser but to concede in injury time is a blow nobody deserved”.
