Louis Van Gaal glum on silverware prediction for Man United
United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage on Tuesday when they suffered an embarrassing 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg.
Van Gaal’s critics again railed against the Dutchman in the wake of the defeat.
Paul Scholes labelled United ‘’average’’ while his former team-mate Rio Ferdinand said dropping into the Europa League was ‘’an embarrassment’’.
But if United fans were looking for a rallying cry from their manager in the wake of the humbling defeat, they did not get one.
Van Gaal was asked on the eve of United’s trip to Bournemouth whether he could make up for the club’s Champions League exit by winning the Barclays Premier League.
“No. It is difficult,” the United manager said. “You (the media) want to raise the expectations. We shall do everything to win something but it is very difficult.
“But I want to manage the expectation. It is not as easy as everybody thinks. You can see what is happening in the Premier League every week. It is not so easy.”
Van Gaal was criticised heavily for failing to lead Barcelona out of the group stages 18 years ago, and he responded by winning the Spanish league.
To achieve the same feat in England with United will be harder, according to the Dutchman, who thinks the gap is closing between the clubs at the top and bottom of the Premier League and across Europe.
“The world has changed,” Van Gaal said.
“In 1997, I was out of the group stages with Barcelona. They are also a big club, there was also a lot of criticism in the media. But then we won the title.
“Only one club can win the Champions League each season. It is not so easy to do that, now. Then three or four clubs had great money. Now we have much more clubs who have the money.
“It is the same in the Premier League. Next year, all the clubs in the Premier League have a bigger budget than most of the clubs in Europe.”
If Van Gaal does achieve the improbable and lifts the Premier League trophy at the end of May, he will probably enjoy it more than any other triumph in his career.
“I have read already in the media that I am 64 and I am too old. Last year I was good enough to get Holland to third at the World Cup,” he said.
“I read the same things 20 years ago. When we went out at the group stage with Barcelona, they wrote the same thing - that my touch has gone. It is always like that. I cannot change that. I cannot change what is in your mind. I can only say the facts. The facts are this - we are out of the group stage, yes, I am very sorry. But I have done everything I could, as have my players and my board.”
Van Gaal was visibly annoyed when asked if he would be happy if he just won the Europa League this season.
“Just? You think it’s just? I’m not thinking like that,” he snapped.
“I have already won the Europa League with Ajax in my first season, and I was very proud of that.
“For me, the Euro (Europa) League is a big competition.”
When asked whether he had doubted himself following the loss in Germany, Van Gaal replied: “No, I don’t have any doubts.”
Van Gaal received yet more bad news on Thursday when Bastian Schweinsteiger was banned for three matches for violent conduct following an elbow on Winston Reid in the 0-0 draw against West Ham last weekend.
Nine players - including captain Wayne Rooney - are out of Saturday’s game at Bournemouth, so Varela and Borthwick-Jackson could start against Eddie Howe’s team.
Meanwhile Andrew Surman admits Bournemouth are brimming with confidence ahead of the visit of United, having beaten Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
Midfielder Surman said: “We have another massive game against United, another huge team in football so it’s going to be another difficult game.
“It’s an extra special one, you are playing against some of best players in the world, but we have to treat it like just another game and keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
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