Manager Louis van Gaal believes tiredness is Manchester United’s greatest enemy as they prepare to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
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Manchester United’s enjpyed a 2-1 victory against German side Wolfsburg thanks to goals from Juan Mata and Chris Smalling.
Quoted in the Daily Star, Van Gaal said: We are happy but I think Arsenal can come back from a defeat.
“The players will have Friday off because they have not had a day off for two weeks, but we will then make a decision on Saturday”.
United – who lost their opening Group B fixture 2-1 against PSV – got off to a terrible start at Old Trafford when Daniel Caligiuri netted in the fourth minute.
Van Gaal said his side had deserved to win overall given the amount of chances they created, and praised the spirit they had shown to secure the result.
“We score but after that it was suffering”. “We’ll have to see how the evaluation is of my fatigue specialist”. In the second half United scored a very lucky goal, while we were on top for the last 25 minutes but could not convert the chances we created. “Rooney and Depay could have scored in the first half and then you finish in the game”, said Van Gaal, who guided Ajax to Champions League glory in 1995. “You have to rotate and that is what I am doing now because I have to protect my players”. We have a very strong team, with a few very good players.
Arsenal are just three points behind United and will be hoping to bounce back from their shock Champions League loss at home to Olympiakos on Tuesday night.
“When we were winning games, it was never enough goals – it was 4-0, we should have won 10-0”. Not many players are actually team players but he is always thinking about the team.
The England worldwide has recently been deployed at wing back on a number of occasions as he has begun to reinvent himself under the guidance of Van Gaal.
But when asked about Mata’s display, Van Gaal said: “I don’t speak about individual performances but I have seen Mata playing better than today”.
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While the wait goes on to add to his 30 global caps, Young at least knows he is valued at club level, having signed a new three-year deal in August.
