Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri named an unchanged starting XI for his side’s potential Premier League title-clincher against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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Should United come away with three points during the clash with the league leaders, it will boost their chance of finishing in the top four.
Speaking to reporters at his pre-match press conference at the Aon Training Complex on Friday afternoon, van Gaal remained quietly optimistic of securing UEFA Champions League qualification next season and spoke of delaying the Foxes’ coronation as Premier League champions.
“I was the first that said that they could be the champions”.
He said: “We are still in the first five, previous year we were in the first four, so the difference in points (to Leicester) is not bigger than with Chelsea I believe”. Fourth position is okay, third position then we have reached our aim.
“The fact is we went further in the Capital One Cup and so on”.
“We are still in the race but it is a lot tougher”. I signed for three years – so next year you will see me again. What do you think about the way they want to follow my advice, when their coach is portrayed like a nobody because I can not do anything?
Van Gaal has experience of winning a league title with an unfashionable club having led AZ Alkmaar to the Eredivisie crown in 2009.
“Of course they had the circumstances to play always with the same team, they didn’t play so many matches as the other teams in the Premier League, so it is always possible”. For my players, it is not so easy.
“You have to pay much more, you have to pay also the agents, and then you have the player himself”.
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“I ask my players for the same performance. We have to fight for something and we shall do it. Hopefully we can beat Leicester City”. I think they shall be the champion a week later, so we don’t spoil the party, just postpone it a little bit.
