Rooney scored the only goal in Sunday’s 1-0 win at Anfield, and Van Gaal said afterwards that he believes United can still win the title.
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The home side wasted numerous opportunities and paid the price 12 minutes from time when Rooney fired United’s first shot on target high past Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet after Marouane Fellaini’s header came back off the bar.
“That’s the only possibility to be satisfied after the game, United at this moment will be happy”. But then if you get a win, it looks that little bit much closer, it’s a mad season.
“It’s really bad”, he said.
“We know Wayne Rooney has played for Everton and now plays for United so he wants to score against Liverpool, it means a lot for him”, he added.
“This game shall give a big boost to the players, fans, everybody at Manchester United. We have to continue this… we can do it (win the league)”. That’s not so easy. “We have seen that today but we can do it because we show every week we can do it”.
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, right, celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016. It’s always like that. “We played better, but we feel really frustrated with the result”. He can play this position. He is a real centre-forward. Plus all the other things. “Creating chances was good, but our finishing was not”.
“For the fans, for me and the players it is a fantastic win and it will give us a boost”. Of course not everyone can see it, but we need the results and we don’t have them often enough.
Pressed on his side’s lack of goals – Liverpool have just 25 in 22 league games this season – Klopp said: “We have to work with what we have. It could have been a different game altogether but we paid for the chances we missed and conceding from a set piece was disappointing too”.
Van Gaal admitted that his side were fortunate to still be level after an unconvincing first-half display, but was delighted with how they responded after the interval.
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Jack Butland made three important stops for Stoke, from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Olivier Giroud in the first half, and from Giroud in the second, with Petr Cech twice denying Marko Arnautovic after the break.
