Top four no longer a priority for Manchester United – Van Gaal

Unfortunately for the player and his increasingly beleaguered manager, there was no happy ending as Louis van Gaal’s side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland.

“When you see our results in 2016, when we have that over the whole season we are the champions”, Van Gaal is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.

“I’ve said it many times that a lot of the media is inventing stories and you don’t have to respond to invented stories”.

With the top four in action against each other on Sunday – leader Leicester is at Arsenal and Manchester City hosts Tottenham – United wasted a great chance to close the gap on the Champions League places. It’s still possible but very hard. United have never won it, so it’s important that we can qualify for the Champions League through it.

United play the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie against Danish side FC Midtjylland on Thursday.

“I’m very frustrated because we were in very good form”, Van Gaal said following the loss.

After their crucial victory, Allardyce will take his players off for awarm weather training camp in Dubaias they will look to recuperate ahead of their crucial clash with West Ham on February 27.

Louis van Gaal explains Manchester United would be satisfied if they secured a top four spot this season.

But second-bottom Sunderland regained the lead when the unmarked Lamine Kone met Khazri’s right-wing corner with a powerful header that found the net after Martial’s attempted clearance came back off De Gea’s elbow.

He said: “With a result as big as this one, I hope it lifts their confidence brilliantly for the big push to try to get out of the trouble that we are in”.

“We needed the points so much, everybody knows that”.

The visitors mustered their first attempt on goal 14 minutes before the break when Juan Mata steered a first-time effort from Wayne Rooney’s pass straight into keeper Mannone’s midriff, but having lost Darmian to injury, they got themselves back on level terms with six minutes of the half remaining.

“You have to win, and we can win when we are more consistent, when we can finish [off] the game”.

Asked if the club should declare their backing publicly for the Dutchman, Van Gaal said: “I do not agree they need to make a statement”.