The Red Devils’ week went from bad to worse as they were beaten by the home side to dent their Premier League title hopes.
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Bournemouth’s victory came on the back of last week’s win at Chelsea and manager Eddie Howe admitted the club’s season has been transformed. Michael Carrick completed 55 passes, the highest of any player on the field.
Van Gaal’s efforts to get United’s season back on track were hampered by a number of fresh injuries this week, which, together with Bastian Schweinsteiger’s suspension, left him without nine senior players. The visitors won only 2 of 12 aerial duels and McNair was successful with just 5 of 10 attempted tackles.
Characteristically, Van Gaal would not have any of it. He tends, as befits a man who reportedly hears himself described as a “genius manager” by United’s board, to posture as some omniscient being who regards detractors as intellectually inferior.
Lukaku headed in Gerard Deulofeu’s cross at the far post after 15 minutes but struggling Norwich equalised two minutes into the second half, Wes Hoolahan scrambling the ball over the line following a corner at Carrow Road.
“We created chances, we scored and dominated the game so I had a feeling we should win at half-time”.
“That is the most important thing”.
Stanislas scored direct from a wind-assisted corner that bamboozled keeper David de Gea in the second minute and although Marouane Fellaini levelled in the 24th, King struck with a low shot from a well-worked 54th minute corner to earn the points.
Even allowing for the injuries, youth and inexperience which were all factors in their 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg, United can have no complaints about a result which, ultimately, cast a harsh and unforgiving light on the sheer mind-numbing ordinariness of the current side.
“We have to make a revival this week and that is always very difficult because you have just lost two matches in row and that is not happening so much for Manchester United”, said Van Gaal, explaining the feat will be achieved through “only hard work, training sessions, preparation and focus, all the same things that I have done in the 25 years of my managership”.
‘My players are very disappointed because we have given everything and lost both games. There is no other league where that happens as often as it does in the Premier League. “He was the architect behind the Chelsea goal as well with the corner”.
While United appear to have lost the winning edge that underscored Sir Alex Ferguson’s years of success, the former Holland boss still believes he can bring glory back to Old Trafford.
“Next year, all the clubs in the Premier League have a bigger budget than most in Europe”. For the second week running they shocked respected opponents despite having a minority share of possession.
It would be unfair to argue with the latter assertion considering they are only three points behind Manchester City, but there can be no disputing the scale of the damage caused by a week in which United also went out of the Champions League.
“Now, I am going to challenge my players”.
The problems began for United on 31 minutes when, with the game at 1-1, Jesse Lingard was forced off with a knock.
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Van Gaal opted to start with Varela and Borthwick-Jackson ahead of Young at full back, and then introduced Pereira on the wing ahead of the former Aston Villa man too.
