But when that was put to Van Gaal in his post-match press conference, he brushed off the suggestion.
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“It’s a big game for Manchester United [against Everton on Saturday] but it’s much bigger for us”. We have to look for another position for Wayne. But he believes that if they do keep winning then the pressure could tell on Arsenal or Man City.
“They have won more, they are scoring more and that’s because they have more creative players”.
“I can not speak about individuals, especially not about players of another club otherwise they are thinking we are interested in them”, he added.
“I can not predict, but it is a competitive league, which is why our rivals are also losing”, Van Gaal said.
Rashford will be hoping to be involved when Manchester United take on Everton at Wembley in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final clash.
“Everybody knows that”, van Gaal said.
Pardew was part of the Palace side that reached the 1990 final and his return to the club as manager in January 2015 turned the club from relegation candidates to contenders for Europe midway through the current campaign. Adnan Januzaj also needs to build his fitness before featuring for the first-team, while Bastian Schweinsteiger is not expected to play again this season.
“But this game against Palace is very important and we need to win and have to win”. We have to win, we need to win, so it’s much more important to win this game than, for example, for Arsenal or Manchester City. In fact it would be a travesty if his tiresome and not very good side finished above the Gunners, despite all our flaws, but is he right to think that 12 points from the last four games might just see United into the top four? No, we have to win.
“I don’t see a lot of empty seats – but you have seen it because you want to see it”, the Dutchman said. “To speak about the semi-final against Everton isn’t appropriate”. Marcus Rashford was withdrawn after a heavy challenge from Adrian Mariappa but Van Gaal expects the 18-year-old to be fit.
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So often this season, Van Gaal has had to juggle his squad as injuries mounted, but he has a different dilemma for Saturday’s game. “Now he’s training with the physios and he has to train with the football coach and that’s still not happening”.
