This week, United took on West Ham at Old Trafford. The Reds struggled after playing the majority of the second half with 10 men after Rooney’s dismissal, but some strong defending meant that United took all 3 points with a nervy 2-1 win. After the shock defeat to Leicester last week, United will be happy to exit the weekend with a win, but still have some things to consider. In this article we’ll have a look at what was said after today’s exhilarating game.
Robin van Persie, who scored United’s second goal, had this to say: “We played well. We had to fight in the second half and we did that. I’m very proud.” The Dutchman has scored 2 goals in as many games for the Reds, and seems to be linking up with new loan-signing Radamel Falcao excellently. He was highly criticised for his poor start to this season, but his recent performances have warranted him praise from the United fans. He seems happy with the result, and hopefully he’s on his way to becoming the lethal striker he once was under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Louis van Gaal added: “We had to fight and fight and fight again. I’m very pleased with my players’ attitudes.” This sums up the tough shift that the United back line had to endure today, and the boss recognised their spirit, thanking them for the three points. Debutant Paddy McNair produced a solid performance, and the highlight of his game was a spectacular headed clearance, which prevented the visitors from levelling the score. The manager specifically praised the 19-year-old, saying “He played very well. His goal-saving header in the second half was fantastic.” The boss also stated: “We played very well in the first half – good attacking and effective football.” This is exactly what United fans want to hear from van Gaal, after a dreary, uneventful season under Moyes. It’s clear what the manager’s intentions are: to bring exciting, attacking football back to Old Trafford. He explained that the Reds were “very dominant” in the first half, but he should still be impressed with the perseverance of the United defence in the second half.
Louis van Gaal also commented on other players that performed today, and most were positive. He was happy with Luke Shaw’s debut, and joked about his recent injuries: “Luke Shaw is always injured but now I can play with him for 90 minutes. He had a little cramp but it was amazing he lasted 90 minutes!” The United boss was clearly happy with the performance of the Englishman, and his addition to the squad meant the solid CB-pairing of McNair and Rojo was discovered. LvG also commented on Rooney’s red-card challenge: “Wayne makes a professional foul, I think you can call it that. I don’t think he wanted to do it that way, but he did.”
To conclude, the United manager is clearly happy with his sides’ performance due to the attacking football in the first half, and the defensive solidarity in the second. He had few negative comments to share, meaning his side can learn a lot from today’s performance.