The Wythenshawe-born teenager partnered Anthony Martial in United’s recent 1-0 win against Watford in the Premier League, sending the Old Trafford giants level with Manchester City on points as they scrap for a top-four finish.
Advertisement
It had looked like the doom and gloom could seep in as Watford threatened to upset the home faithful on Wednesday, only for Juan Mata’s late free-kick to secure a 1-0 fourth successive win in all competitions.
Van Gaal’s men have now closed the gap between them and fourth-placed Man City to three points, but Pellegrini’s men have a game-in-hand.
United take on West Brom on Sunday, a game which could lift Van Gaal’s men into a Champions League spot should other results go their way.
“In football and in sport, you have to win to raise the atmosphere, so now we have won three times and now everyone is happy – the fans are happy, even the media are happy”.
“Players are coming back, but I have to solve a different problem every week in my line-up”. You can see him with the second team but he was fast and playing on the right and left side. “We were the better team here for 80-90 minutes”.
“I think that they now understand that you can believe it, but, still, we have to beat West Bromwich Albion”.
The Uruguay global was linked with a loan move to Serie A side Genoa in January, but van Gaal blocked the deal which would also have seen the 22-year-old given the option to move permanently to Genoa at the end of the season.
Manchester United squeezed past Watford, whose impressive pressing game restricted United’s offensive play and hard conditions played havoc with longer passing.
“However, he had not played before against Odion Ighalo, who is a handful for a centre-half”. “When one of your own scores a couple of goals, then the supporters walk away seeing a brighter future”.
“I think James has been treated a bit unfairly”, Zidane said ahead of Saturday’s game with Celta Vigo. “He was very good”.
And his boss Louis van Gaal has warned teen sensation the pressure on him is going to increase after his goal-scoring heroics. “That is too much, so we have to win”.
Advertisement
“We are fighting and we are struggling, but in the struggle, we can play fantastic matches, as we did against Arsenal and Midtjylland”.
