Van Gaal hopes Rooney sparks Man Utd upsurge

Swansea had won the last three meetings against United by a 2-1 scoreline but the hosts soon restored their lead as Martial burst away down the left and Rooney turned in his low cross with a clever flick.

As they had done against Chelsea in their previous home stalemate, United tried to show more attacking intent from the start with van Gaal employing a three-man defence and Ashley Young and Anthony Martial as wing-backs in a bid to set up a first home win since November.

“I think now the pressure is lowering, the performance shall be better every week”.

Although it is notoriously hard to sign top quality players in the January transfer window, United’s problems this season with goals could see us make a move in the market.

Something of a siege mentality developed at Old Trafford during their slump. The players want to press. “It can be solved with money, but also on the training pitch”.

The Dutchman was frustrated with Swansea’s tactics throughout the game, and criticised them after the match.

Leicester was held to a 0-0 draw at home by 10-man Bournemouth, after Riyad Mahrez failed to score from the penalty spot for Claudio Ranieri’s side.

Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, said of his former global team-mate: ‘If you are going to write Wayne Rooney off or say he is back, you can’t say he is back because of one moment in a game and you cannot write him off because of maybe two or three bad games.

That’s how far a mighty club has fallen, with the stalemate with Chelsea on Monday appearing to give some breathing space for United’s under-pressure manager Louis van Gaal.

Bafetimbi Gomis has scored the winning goal in each of the last two Premier League games against Manchester United.

Manchester United’s anger at their dismal form was behind their improved performance against Swansea City on Saturday, according to Louis van Gaal.

“He’s a terrific player and I’m glad we’ve got him”.

Saturday’s game was the first time Anthony Martial had been on the same scoresheet as Rooney in the league.

It came just after the break, yet when Gylfi Sigurdsson equalised on 70 minutes United seemed certain to extend their winless sequence to a ninth outing.

Van Gaal must have sensed the boos were coming for him after the final whistle.

“Now we are playing much more matches but still it is an achievement”. He must have played almost 600 [club] games as a centre-forwards, which is maybe not the same as playing in the position I did.