“We were not the better team today so we did not deserve to win”, said Van Gaal.
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Manchester United have drawn their last three games 0-0 and fans could be heard chanting “attack, attack, attack” during Saturday’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace.
United’s drop in productivity has coincided with Van Gaal’s decision to move Martial, the Premier League’s Player of the Month for September, to the left flank and utilize Wayne Rooney as a lone striker.
“We don’t know yet because he played always in Monaco as the left winger”, Van Gaal said. “You see it every week, not just with Manchester United”. “I am sick of them”.
Rooney has scored twice in 10 Premier league games without any assists, while teenager Antony Martial, recently pushed out wide on the left, has scored three times in seven matches with one assist.
United have a win, a draw and a defeat from their Group B matches so far, the same as Tuesday’s opponents.
“Yes, they are a big club and yes, they can keep the ball – passes, passes, passes – but if you work hard against them and stay in a good shape they can’t do anything to pass through you or be adventurous”.
“(But) I can not see that (United’s players) are lacking confidence. “Because Wayne is a fantastic player the expectation is much higher than another player in another club, I can imagine that”.
Van Gaal also defended his team’s style of play and insisted it was a work in progress.
“I am always thinking of the benefit to the team, not player”, he said. I’m sorry to say that, but it’s logical also.
“We are hopefully making history but it takes time”, he added. It is only a moment in the process.
Morgan Schneiderlin is not anxious about Manchester United’s barren run in front of goal, the French midfielder confident the Premier League title hopeful will start scoring. “I don’t think they doubt their quality”, he said.
“I think we’ll have to wait (but) it’ll happen”.
“I have to hope we score against Moscow again because then we are talking in a different way”.
“I was at the derby on Sunday and Rooney’s movement was brilliant but when he’s playing in that team there’s no one prepared to pass to him”.
“The most important thing is to score in the next game”.
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“We have had a dip in our results and we have to come out of that dip”, van Gaal admitted.
