Dutch managers Hiddink and Louis van Gaal are set to renew their rivalry when they go toe-to-toe at Stamford Bridge in their Premier League clash on Sunday.
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The Red Devils now find themselves in fifth position in the league table, five points behind fourth placed Arsenal.
Louis van Gaal has rubbished claims that there have been talks between Manchester United and Jose Mourinho and believes he is on course to completely overhaul the squad he inherited upon arrival at Old Trafford. “The late goal was disappointing but I think overall we played a good game”, Blind said.
“Say we had 65, 67 and 70 per cent possession, but there were opponents who said “we don’t care how much possession you have, we have the score on our side”.
Van Gaal has regularly been criticised over United’s tactics, but there was little wrong with the display in west London. It was not a boring match.
“In the Netherlands they know I am too arrogant to doubt myself, but I also know that such a nonsense is being created about me”. “After conceding late on it felt like a defeat but we have to move onto the next game now”. “When you play such a game against a team like Chelsea, you have to reward yourself”. We played better than Chelsea a year ago but they won 1-0 now it is 1-1 so we improve.
“It was simple. When you whistle for the end of the match then you have to whistle on the sixth minute of extra time and you don’t allow the corner kick”, said Van Gaal. (You can) look at your wife, or maybe you have children, or a nephew or something like that. Then he can say that he is playing with more freedom because he has more confidence.
When it was put to him that United have not publicly denied the reports, Van Gaal replied: “Why do they have to deny?” Then we did not keep the ball in the way I think we have to. Again, we did not win and we had the chances but we did not win.
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, having saved his team in the first half, denied both Wayne Rooney and Lingard after the break.
“It was a bit the same in the second half, they stretched us and they had a handsome goal with Lingard, but there was no resistance from our side, which we have to explore”.
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“That is one aspect but there are many more aspects that you can not see – the structure inside the club, the cohesion between the employees of Manchester United”.
