Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has revealed that he cannot guarantee whether his side will qualify for the UEFA Champions league or not despite being just one-point adrift of the last Champions League spot with a game in hand. This will be a reality check for many United fans who would be expecting the club to qualify for UCL without much troubles.
The Dutchman said, “No, I don’t now expect to qualify for the Champions League because it is at the end of the season that counts.
“Now doesn’t count. We are going the right way, despite the injuries we’ve had.
“And I think the important thing is that the players want to follow the philosophy, which is why – despite the many changes – we could continue to go the right way.”
“I knew in advance that we would have most midweeks off through not being in the Champions League.
“But this was the challenge for me and why I am here. I had choices – I could have chosen four other clubs.”
Manchester United have been in superb form after a dodgy opening few weeks as they have finally started playing close to how Van Gaal wants. After spending huge on last transfer windiw, it was only a matter of time before the team gelled together and played well. They have won four games in a row and lie second, only behind Manchester City in terms of points accumulated if the last six games are considered. After all the injuries they have had, Van Gaal has done a fine job getting them to where they are at the moment.
United take on Southampton today and have the chance to move into the top three if they beat their opponents. They will then be only eight points behind league leaders Chelsea. Today’s clash will be a key game for both Van Gaal and United as the Dutchman has a bit of a history with current Southampton manager Ronald Koeman when the duo worked together at Ajax.