Europe’s secondary competition now represents United’s best chance of securing their minimum target of Champions League qualification.
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Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal, has admitted that the supporters are “right” to verbally abuse the team following their defeat to Danish minnows FC Midtjylland in the Europa League.
“They are getting paid X amount of money to perform to the level they should be at that size of club and they have not done it”.
Thursday will have done nothing to boost confidence on that front, though, as the scrutiny on Van Gaal’s position – and talk he could soon be replaced by Jose Mourinho – continues to grow.
United have so far successfully negotiated ties against Sheffield United and Derby County in the FA Cup, and Carrick says “football’s a amusing old game and it throws up different things. but we know what to expect”.
Somehow, we don’t think he’ll be taking them up on the offer…
“At Manchester United, if Louis Van Gaal blinks the world is looking at it and thinking, ‘Was that a proper blink or a twitch?’ But he will know that goes with the territory”.
“I think it’s only a matter of time”.
The Red half of United are behind their rivals City in the race for the top four spot but are six points behind them with 12 games to go.
With first-choice goalkeeper David De Gea injured, United have recalled 18-year-old Dean Henderson from his loan spell at Conference North side Stockport as cover for Sergio Romero, and the teenager could be on the bench at Shrewsbury.
Van Gaal’s men travel to Shrewsbury on Monday night for an FA Cup fifth-round game marking the start of a week that looks potentially vital for their season – as well as for the increasingly under-scrutiny Dutchman’s future. “But then still we had a very good home record last season and we can do that again, it’s a question of winning matches in a row”. You have to question how the team has been laid out and you have to question to some extent the recruitment over the past couple of years.
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“I think they need Mourinho and he needs them as well”, he said.
