Van Gaal gave me one per cent chance of playing – Hernandez

The strikers discarded by Van Gaal have being showing just how lethal they can be: Summer sale Javier Hernandez has 15 in 12 games for Bayer Leverkusen and James Wilson has scored twice in his three games since joining Brighton on loan.

“The board told me I could go on loan to Real Madrid and it was not a hard decision for me”.

It has been reported that furious Manchester United fans were ready to return to the David Moyes era by flying a protest banner prior to their game with Norwich this weekend.

“Van Gaal said that I only had a one per cent chance of playing in my position, so I headed to Bayer”, the striker told Spanish newspaper Marca.

“I felt confident from the very first day”, Hernandez said.

Hernandez’s experience under Van Gaal contrasts with his time under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Yet in Hernandez, Wilson, Di Maria, Shinji Kagawa, Evans et al – not to mention the injured Danny Welbeck – United fans have more than enough sticks with which to beat the under-pressure manager.

“I had a great time there”.

Hernandez has enjoyed an excellent start to life at the Bayer Arena, with 17 goals in 20 appearances so far this season, while United have been struggling in front of goal.

“I wasn’t actually surprised as it may have been Manchester United football club but it wasn’t a “Manchester United team”,” Shearer said. I think he is the best manager in history for how he managed the squad. He had a place for everyone.

The players’ planned Christmas drinks were cancelled this week while Louis van Gaal gave his squad two days off in an attempt to lighten the mood, but there is no disguising that United are at a low ebb.

“Thank God I got my chance and the game against Atletico Madrid was one of my best”.

After the arrival of van Gaal, Hernandez found it hard to make it to the starting 11 of Manchester United spending most of his time on the bench.

United have not won any of their last five matches, dropping to fourth place in the Premier League and exiting the Champions League. There is no other league that it happens as often as it does in the premier league.