The Dutch coach is satisfied with the Red Devils' 2015 but admits their recent dismal run has been a "big blow" Louis van Gaal feels 2015 has been a good year for Manchester United if you leave their disappointing form in December out of the equation.

United finished fourth in the table last term to return to the Champions League, while they sat first in the Premier League come November. They have since gone on an eight-match winless streak in all competitions, but Van Gaal prefers to look at the overall positives of the past 12 months.

"We have fulfilled the wish and our aim in the first season that ended halfway through 2015," the Dutchman said at a news conference. "After that we have managed to give balance to the team and that resulted in October and November in us being first in the Premier League.
"Then we crashed out of the Champions League and that was a big blow, and we are still in that period. "But when you don't assess December, it has been a very good year."

United had to settle for a scoreless draw against Chelsea in their last outing despite dominating for the majority of the game and Van Gaal feels they have often been the better side this campaign.
"We've had many games like the one versus Chelsea," he added. "The way we've played this season, we're more or less always the dominant team. "The way we played against Chelsea, under that pressure and in the style we want to play, was fantastic." Van Gaal has received his fair share of criticism in recent weeks, but he still had words of praise for the club's fans for the way they have supported the team.

"I have had bad periods at all my clubs and I have to say the best fans are here at Manchester United, because in such a difficult period they were applauding about the performance of the players and that's fantastic," the United boss concluded.
cc: lalasticala