“He scores, he provoked a penalty and now he is scoring in a row 10 goals so now you are a great player”, Van Gaal said.
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Van Nistelrooy is the 11th highest scorer in United’s 137-year history, netting 150 goals in 219 matches for the club.
Wilson returned on the bench in the goalless draw with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night but was an unused substitute as United once again drew a blank.
“But also you have to see how our opponents are playing against us, and when you see how they play, you know the difficulty of organizing against that type of opponent”.
The Dutchman drew parallels between Vardy and Arsenal great Dennis Bergkamp, who played under Van Gaal at Ajax.
Van Gaal’s philosophy will meet Ranieri’s pragmatic tinkering – though, contrary to the manager’s nickname, Leicester’s XI has been remarkably consistent – on the weekend with this season’s Premier League wide open with only a point separating the two sides.
“I only know, for example, Dennis Bergkamp as a player with me did the same with Ajax and that is not so easy”, he said.
“I don’t want to remember that game especially, because of the result but also the way we lost wasn’t good, ” Van Gaal said. United’s position among the title contenders, after two years out of the race for the championship, is perhaps stopping more dissent among the fans.
It was the latest in a series of niggling injuries that have set his Old Trafford career back after making 17 appearances in Van Gaal’s first season at the club.
But Van Gaal remains unworried about the criticism, responding: “We are still not lucky in finishing the chances”.
“I think it’s good Jamie has this – maybe all his team-mates will try to help him”.
“But we are not giving much away”. So worrying is the shortage of goals that it came as a surprise when United announced Thursday that youngster James Wilson, one of only three out-and-out strikers in the squad, had joined second-tier club Brighton on loan for the rest of the season.
The Foxes have been brilliant this season, going to the top of the Premier League after 13 matches.
The bold, attacking approach in the long tenure of Alex Ferguson is nowhere to be seen at United these days, with caution appearing to reign under Louis van Gaal.
Vardy’s meteoric rise has encouraged the striker to launch a new academy to find the next generation of players who can make the giant leap from non-league football to the top tier.
Leicester’s game is built around their attacking players but they have been reasonably adept defensively too. We believe in him so he has to develop himself elsewhere.
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The loss of Rojo, with Phil Jones already unavailable, could mean a recall for young defender Paddy McNair, as well as a possible switch to three at the back for United.
