Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger can provide the leadership Manchester United need in their Champions League clash against VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday as they seek to qualify for the knockout stages, manager Louis Van Gaal has said.
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United are likely to crash out of the group stages for just the fourth time in history if their patched-up team fails to win in Wolfsburg on Tuesday.
After bursting onto the scene with a wonder goal against Liverpool and two against Southampton, the 20-year-old has failed to score in eight full Premier League games since but Van Gaal insists United fans must be patient.
Despite the pressure growing on the Dutchman as a result of United’s struggles in front of goal, but Van Gaal is confident their dry spell will come to an end.
“That’s why we have that belief”.
“When I have been in Barcelona or Bayern Munchen or AZ (Alkmaar), we have played like that”.
“It is a lot of things, First of all you have to create the chance with the last pass. Then the guy who was the opportunity they have to feel that they want to score a goal and are going to score a goal”. When he came he was accelerating in the start of his campaign at Manchester United.
Ancelotti has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2015 and has previously indicated an interest in returning to coach in the Premier League.
And Wolfsburg’s former Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle says it is important to score first against United to boost their chances of avoiding another defeat.
Skipper Wayne Rooney will miss the Wolfsburg trip with an ankle injury, leaving 20-year-old France global Anthony Martial as their only recognised striker. “But, who knows, maybe I could play some minutes against CSKA Moscow”.
“We showed [against Getafe] we are in good form”, said the Welshman.
“When you speak about United, you speak about a big club”. Of the game in the Volkswagen Arena, he said: “We have to score so we must score”. United have struck just five goals from five games in Group B and seven from their last 10 in all competitions. As a manager I know we must score but when you ask about the performance as a team, I am satisfied.
Van Gaal defended his tactics, saying his possession-style football had served him well during his successful spells in Spain, Holland and Germany.
He said: “I will continue to wait [to join a club]”.
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Man City are already through from Group D, but must beat Gladbach and hope leaders Juventus lose in Spain if they are to finish on top of the section.
