The Red Devils’ 1-0 victory at Old Trafford put them top of their Champions League group and more importantly it ended their goalless drought.
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Louis van Gaal felt vindicated by Wayne Rooney’s victor against CSKA Moscow after his decision to take off Anthony Martial was widely booed at Old Trafford.
“It is unbelievable because we have created at least 12 chances and had to wait a long time”, Van Gaal told BT Sport. He admitted that he had heard the jeers, but insisted that the fans would “not be disappointed with the decision”, despite the evidence to the contrary.
Wayne Rooney stole the headlines with his winning goal – his 237th for Manchester United, taking him level with Denis Law – but against CSKA Moskva last night, it was a player at the other end of the career path who took the man of the match honours.
The result left the group perfectly poised with United on seven points, one clear of VfL Wolfsburg and PSV Eindhoven, who won 2-0 at home to the Germans on Tuesday.
But the goals still proved hard to come by, and the fans were not afraid to make their frustration with that known. It is the first time since 2005 that United have gone three games without scoring, which Van Gaal admits is a “big concern”, and Morgan Schneiderlin has urged his team-mates not to allow the issue to become a fixation.
“We deserve it totally, I think”.
“I back all my players, not only Wayne Rooney”, Van Gaal said.
We didn’t have lots of possession, just as in the first game in Moscow (a 1-1 draw). Everybody thinks it is easy but it is not easy. “Before that they could have scored… and then it’s a different match”.
With the match over, the manager was talking to the press about Moscow’s only chance at goal, praising goalkeeper David de Gea before slipping up on Smalling’s name once again.
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After Michael Carrick delivered a diagonal pass, Lingard volleyed back towards goal with a perfectly weighted ball with enough pace that Rooney just had to head home from close range past a helpless Igor Akinfeev. The verbal sparring between Van Gaal and Paul Scholes has provided more entertainment than United’s performances of late, and intensified before kick-off when the club’s former midfielder questioned the manager’s ability to cajole the best out of any striker.
