Wayne Rooney still confident of Champions League progress for Manchester United

Manchester United’s Champions League ambitions were plunged into doubt after a 0-0 home draw against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday that highlighted the English team’s attacking shortcomings under manager Louis van Gaal.

Van Gaal’s team, who have drawn 0-0 four times in their past seven matches, have only scored six times in eight games.

But I know also that goals are coming and going, ‘ he said. “It’s not a outcome of good or bad performances”.

“In the first-half, if we got one goal, it’s a completely different game”.

“I can not say every game in the interview with you that we didn’t finish but it is the truth”.

Shortly before the hour, Van Gaal turned to Plan B, introducing Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young in place of Schweinsteiger and Depay, but sloppiness crept into United’s play and Propper twice tested De Gea’s handling from range, before Lingard spurned the best chance of the night in the 73rd minute.

However, Van Gaal remained confident his side could secure the win they needed in their final group game on Dec 8. But we felt when the game went on and they couldn’t score the goal, they were not so dominant anymore. In the first half Jesse Lingard played a very good game, but we didn’t play so well. Also in the Premier League, our average in away matches is much higher than past year.

Manchester Utd have now failed to score only twice in their last 20 Champions League outings at Old Trafford, the previous against Cluj in December 2012 (0-1).

If United lose at the Volskwagen Arena, the only way they will progress is if PSV are defeated at home by CSKA Moscow.

Asked if he agreed with Rooney’s comments about ruthlessness, Van Gaal said: “Yes, of course, because we are playing football to win – that is what he is saying, and I am saying that always”.

“The real reason for the performance you never know”.

He added: “It is a disappointing result overall and leaves us with a tough game in Germany now, but we believe we can go there and win”.

“We are still second and are still in the qualifying position”, he said. We even got more space in midfield and on the sides’.

United continued to dominate and they almost took the lead in the 30th minute when Morgan Schneiderlin’s scuffed effort was cleared off the line by Zoet.

“They could not find a solution, how to break us down, and towards the end maybe they did not believe they could do it”.