Louis van Gaal hoping pressure is not stoked up

Louis van Gaal will again be under pressure to deliver a victory and an improved performance when Manchester United host Stoke tonight.

Already low after watching their team embark upon a poor run of two wins from their last 10 Premier League matches, United fans watched on in despair on deadline day as the club failed to land any big names, while neighbours Manchester City announced the appointment of the most sought-after coach in the world, Pep Guardiola.

United fans heckled Van Gaal as he walked down the tunnel the last time their team played at home. The fact their team had lost ground in the hunt for the top four with a 1-0 defeat to Southampton was not the main cause for their ire — it was the dour, turgid, unattractive football that was the problem yet again.