Louis Van Gaal: Manchester United Players Need to Take More Responsibility

Louis van Gaal’s side laboured during its FA Cup third-round meeting with the League One team at Old Trafford – mustering just two shots on target – and only progressed courtesy of a 93rd-minute penalty from captain Wayne Rooney.

“I know it’s hard when you play matches like this when there are a lot of players behind the ball but when you are Manchester United you have to deal with it”.

Considering the football as a “brain sport”, the 64-year-old urged his side to focus on the game and try to score as many goals as possible. “Every time I come to Old Trafford it’s negative football, I would be depressed if I was part of that performance”.

On Schweinsteiger’s chances of being fit to feature against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Wednesday morning (AEDT), Van Gaal said: “It shall be hard”.

Van Gaal is also the man who is blocking McNair’s move away from the club as he has chosen to reject all offers for the Northern Ireland global.

“I am very pleased with how Anthony is developing himself, which is why he always plays, more than I had imagined before”, Van Gaal told the United website.

However, the attempts of the United manager and his skipper to paper over the cracks in their side’s display were not endorsed by United great Paul Scholes, who offered up this cutting critique.

This is something which has come under scrutiny all season, with fans consistently heard shouting “Attack, Attack”, they will expect to see The Red Devils go out and hit the back of the net a few times. “Everyone is talking about the fantastic defence of Sheffield United”. The referee is doing well, I think, in the first half there were three minutes’ injury time and, in the second, also extra minutes.

“Some people are looking a little bit unusual to that fact but that’s good”. We’ll have to wait and see though!

Brought in two seasons ago to resurrect Manchester United from the David Moyes era, Van Gaal has not quite performed to the level that many expected of the world-renowned manager.