Phil Jones: Man United can still win Premier League

Manchester United take on Swansea City at Old Trafford on Saturday with manager Louis van Gaal hoping his side can build some momentum.

In fact, Van Gaal believes adding another striker in the window could put more unwarranted pressure on the players he already has.

“When you analyse most matches we were the dominating team, but we didn’t score”.

“There are members of my staff who are coming to me and saying “boss, how can I help you more or in another way?’ I say ‘you are helping me by doing the things you have to do and as well as possible”.

United’s nosedive in form over the last two months has seen them drop to sixth in the Premier League, nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal and Leicester City.

“Swansea have been what I call my ghost team, meaning we are looking to start this new year with what I have been told you say in England by breaking the duck.”, said the Dutchman, according to The Guardian.

“I think that we need also the luck of a striker”, said Van Gaal.

“I don’t believe too much in competition”, Van Gaal said. I believe in trust and confidence. Maybe that’s wrong, but I have done it all my life as a manager. They can not play because I choose another player.

Versatile defender Marcos Rojo also needed a procedure to correct a dislocated shoulder sustained in training, but Van Gaal claims that all three of his long-term absentees are progressing well in their respective recoveries.

Scoring goals continues to be a problem and Van Gaal is still to find the right balance up front. “It’s not necessarily the strikers to blame for that as we need to produce better quality service for the frontmen”.

The manager chose not to buy Radamel Falcao following his season-long loan in 2014/15 and then sold Robin van Persie to Fenerbahçe in July, before allowing Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to join Bayer Leverkusen in August.

While it is a positive step in the right direction for United that they’re at least attempting to fix their most obvious problem, the return of Keane is not going to exactly set the world alight.

“We need also the luck of a striker”. If they can get an early goal then United should go on to win.

“That is the story of Hernandez, for example”. I am convinced of that.

Van Gaal was left disappointed in his first game in charge as Swansea won at Old Trafford for the second time in seven months. “The way we played under that pressure in the style we want to play [against Chelsea], that was fantastic”.