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Louis van Gaal has insisted his methods are the best way for the club to move forward.
Van Gaal has endured a shaky start to life as boss at Old Trafford his squad has been plagued by injuries and look short in a number of departments.
The 4-0 hammering by MK Dons in the Capital One Cup and 5-3 capitulation against Leicester were particular low points but the bullish boss is a firm believer in his methods.
Van Gaal said: "As I have said before, it is always important for me to train the players mentally so that they can fully understand what I want them to do.
"That is not an easy procedure but I provide a lot of information and it is up to the players to process it and translate it into our games.
"It is not the easiest way of working, but I genuinely believe it is the best, and that is why I have always done it this way.
"That is exactly how we had prepared for the game against West Ham, and now it is very important that the players carry out our plans and make sure we see a positive reaction to the result and performance at Leicester City.
"We must all remember that this is still a very new team which is coming together at Manchester United.
"We have made many changes to the team; we have seen 14 players leave us since last season, either permanently or on loan, and we have made six new additions along with promoting some of our youth players.
"All of the players have to get used to their new team-mates and their playing styles, but also to the culture and rhythm of the Premier League, which is very different to the leagues they have played in previously."
[Source: Daily Star]

Wayne Rooney has apologised to his Manchester United team-mates for getting sent off against West Ham.
However, the 28-year-old striker insisted that he was simply trying to prevent a counter-attack and did not intend to harm Downing.
“It was probably the right decision, I saw the West Ham player making a counter-attack and I tried to break up the play, but I just misjudged it.
“I didn’t absolutely volley the lad. I tried to trip him up and, to be fair to him, he got further away from me and that’s why my leg is straighter than it should have been.
“As he pushed the ball away, my leg straightened out and that is obviously why the referee deemed it as a red card.”
"I apologised to the lads. It was a dangerous situation in that they were trying to break on us but I have no complaints.
“It’s always tough against 11 men when you are a man down, especially when they are throwing a lot of balls into the box as West Ham were doing, so I am grateful that we held out.”
Rooney will now miss the next three games against Everton, West Brom and Chelsea.
[Source: Independent, Daily Star]

RuuDie: Only on the basis that they have more UTD and EPL experience. Otherwise, Rojo is 'finer' player with a good dose of grit. I believe with time, Rojo will win over fans who have doubts!

Where EPL is different is the amount of crosses you have to deal with in a game. In many other leagues, you mostly have to know how to stop an opponent from dribbling you, and organizing your defence well.

Before we packed the bus yesterday, the defence was not so solid. We almost concede after Rooney's goal. DDG made a save from near post in the 2nd half.

Those days, it was hard for the defence of Brown-Vidic-Ferdi-Evra to concede from set play between 2006-9. Although Van Der Sar also made life easy.

For aerial threat, I pick Smalling, to pair Jones. Jones n his part seems to be our best.

If we get Smalling and Jones to recover before Everton, then we can get a win.

Once we beat Everton, it will b easy to beat West Brom.

Rafael-Jones-Smallling- Shaw/Rojo. (Evans if Smalling is failing)

The young defenders will have their time in the future. The young guys will cost us if when we least expect. I remember Nastisic for Man City.

SailorXY: na wetin make all these rival fans wan get heartache na, their little wishes of a United's decline is looking futile every passing minute

At this time last season, we could hardly test goalkeepers. A team that is sure to score is a dreaded team. We are progressing well.

ElFenomeno1: Nucca do something about your ragged defence.....

CR7 wont change the status quo..... Your defence is ABSOLUTELY shambles!!!!

You can parade all the quality in the world upfront, a termite wont bat an eyelid if you continue to rely on the likes of Smalling, Rojo, Blind, Blackett and co at the back!

Confidence back you said? That may not be back till thy kingdom come! LOL

That's the koko of the matter. Everyone knows once the defence is sorted, it will be 5-0, 7-1, 3-0, 8-2 win for Man United. Lol

Our defence will be okay. It's a defence still being assembled by a coach who is new to EPL. They will be fine soon. Just a few good successive results, we play more with confidence.

ElFenomeno1: Afraid of Manchester United

Someone is having a fruit bat sandwich!

Yes, you guys are afraid. Some of you are doing prayers and fasting that Ronaldo doesn't ever return. United might look struggling now, but everyone knows that a team that can score two goals in first half of every match is capable of anything. Once United gets it's confidence back, the sky is the limit.

People are already afraid of Man United, and you guys still want to add Ronaldo.

You guys are scaring the hell out of EPL rivals. May be next you guys would want Mascerano and Thiago Silva.

igbsam: His Salary should be slashed into half. Maybe that would bring his useless temper down. He seems to have this pride since handed the captain's armband. He feels he is above every other players, he is on top of the world and he can shout at whoever he wishes. He forgot that van gaal is a no nonsense coach that can bench his a55 all season long if not that he is saved by the captain armband. 9 Match off the pitch should teach him a lesson he will never forget if only wishes were horses.

New theory by igbsam.

He said Rooney demonstrates pride...

Na wai! Wetin person no go hear. Sometimes nobody understand what you guys have with Rooney anymore. For your information, two months ago Garry Neville said Rooney had always shouted on his team mates. He said even as the youngest player, Rooney shouted on defence of Neville, Ferdinand, etc.

According to RVP at the end of 12/13 season, he said Rooney is someone who doesn't want to lose, hence you see him in defence where he shouldn't be. He (Roonney) doesn't say 'this is not my area or concern'. Our defence led by Smalling was in shambles and you expected Rooney to clap for them?

As for anyone wishing Rooney stays on the bench all season, that's is 'imposicant'. If you can't play him, you allow him to join the clubs ready to take him and play him as a striker.

This guy.

Danhumprey: Even RVP. It's like they are sworn enemies! He sees them as competitors for the Golden Boot,not as team mates.

I see these things as coincidence. Falcao hit the bar from Rooney's pass. He missed a chance yesterday from Rooney's well delivered free kick. Rooney tried connecting him with a cross but a timely header by a defender kept it out.

They didn't play for 90 mins yesterday. If they had 90 mins may be may be...

coogar: [img]http://mashalbutt.files./2014/09/cinqb.gif?w=352&h=352[/img]

this header is worth 3 points from paddy. 2 west ham strikers were waiting patiently for that cross....

lest i forget.....rojo got pilloried last week at leicester but i must say he was very good last night.

Is there no way DDG can stop some of these crosses into the 6 box area? It looks like there is a problem compared to how Van Der Sar managed his area.

Have you guys suddenly forgotten SAF has been using Kean and a few others in defence?

* As for our fitness coach, now we know where the problem has been. Rafael and Fabio were always getting injured too. He did not develop our young defenders well.

Everton play fast but they play on the ground. They are also not as strong as they were last season. Let's hope that Herrera recovers to see how we can beat them with a passing game. I think the midfield four of Blind, Di Maria, Herrera and Mata should be able to do well. But they will find it harder against West Brom. West Brom are physical but also play on the ground.

.............................

With 3 defenders we conceded 3 goals in 3 matches. With four defenders we conceded 6 goals in three matches. lol

.............................

We are yet to concede with Phil Jones in our centre back. I think he should be the first choice centre back. I will prefer Jones and Smalling pairing at the back because of aerial battle. And they are very athletic. Johny Evans+Jones pairing will also be good, they will be able to play the ball out of the denfece well.

Odunharry: i dy tell u.....Ref hav bn against us..
Sakho should have been sent off

We lost 4 or 5 points in our first three matches to referee refusal to give us three separate penalties. Against leicester it was a dubious penalty that changed the whole match.

But these things will make us stronger. If we had won two of our first three games, we would not have bought Falcao. With the situation now, we could buy a world class centre back soon.

I am not alone in my opinion.
............

wotusayin 89 points 4 hours ago
Everyone's saying he should've committed a tactical foul..
It's obviously just a shit lazy attempt at a tactical foul, they were breaking.

SarcasticDevil 60 points 4 hours ago
Exactly what I think. He's going for the cynical trip but then immediately after is probably thinking "Shit that was probably a bit high". Honestly don't think it was anything to do with poor temperament or anything, just went for a common tactical foul but executed it really poorly

wotusayin 55 points 4 hours ago
I think he thinks about pulling his arm down, then changes his mind and goes for the leg swipe, just completely bleeps it.
It's stupid, but people are talking like he just stamped on someones head. Ronaldo punched someone a few weeks ago and nobody talks about it, Rooney makes a shit lazy challenge and everyone calls him a cunt.

jesusthatsgreat 21 points 4 hours ago
"let me take a yellow card here for the team, it'll be worth it"

Clearly just trying to stop West Ham breaking, but wasn't subtle enough.
R1v 3 points 3 hours ago
Yeah I'm not sure what he was hoping to accomplish by making contact with the player with the ball 3 feet away
AltrinchamSuperHighTiger 5 points 4 hours ago

i genuinely think it was a clip of the ankles that got a bit out of hand
permalinkparent

OhHayJohn 90 points 4 hours ago
But he was trying to clip him, wasn't like he was trying to seek retribution on Downing? It was a clear red but it was more misjudged rather than purely nasty in my mind.

“We conceded a goal from a corner, which is a pity because we were playing very good. I said at half-time I was pleased.

“Then you get our set-play, the break from West Ham and the right card for Wayne and that changed everything.

“I think that the referee could give a red card. I think he (Rooney) did it too unfriendly, because you can do it in a more friendly way. I call that a professional fault.

“We have the problem we don’t have the height of the West Ham United players and they were playing the long ball, so it is very difficult to hold this result, but I am very happy we have done that.”

Van Gaal was impressed with the debut display of teenage defender Paddy McNair, who was brought in due to a host of injury problems and shone alongside Marcos Rojo.

He added: “I am very happy that we have won because that is important for a player who is making his debut, and I thought that he was very good. I am very pleased for him.” - Gaal.

Skysports.

vosquare: damn....i dnt lyk d way van gaal is treatin falcao....d man was so sedimental 2dae...its obvious rvp is nt in top form and nt playin as expectd...falcao stil plays beta dan rvp for d past 2 to 3games yet rvp play ful match....when lvg remuvd falcao,its obvious d guy was nt happy at al...bt i love his maturity by clappin later...d dude was nt happi.,even tho he didnt score,he was more in d game dn rvp..lvg shuld just liv falcao nd rvp in each game or shuld liv falcao nd sub rvp!!

He has at least three matches now. His time was always going to come. I hope he stays injury free. It looks like referees are not protecting us.

afrodoc2: Do you read people's comments fully or you just jump in to defend Rooney?
What i and others have said is that Rooney's tackle betrayed his lack of control and intelligence. They were several ways to stop that counter without risking a red card, but Rooney choose the most idi.otic option..............That is what i am saying.
This is compounded by the fact that as captain he should show better leadership and judgement especially now that we are short of about 10 senior players

How is all this different from what I said from the onset, that he did it the wrong way.

vosquare: yea....make mata step up his game o

That's it. If Mata pays welll, he could be asked to continue and Rooney waits until sm1 is injured. We haven't lost anything. Except our bench will be weak.

vosquare: go watch dat part again...look at d foul d defender did nd look at rooney's own...those kinds of situation r risky 4 d opponents...any fall or foul committed in dat kind of situation is a foul bt rooney took it too far mehn....if rooney could have pulled d guy's shirt or hit d guy's legs with little effort(like west ham defender to rafael),he wil b given a yelo...bt c wat he did na...a blind man wont hesistate 2 gv him red!

Nobody is saying Rooney did well.

The safe play should have been shirt pull, but don't forget too the player was ahead of him nd these things happen in split seconds.

Wilsbhere did something similar in the first half of the ongoing late kickoff. But he got yellow.

At the end let's be happy we won.

afrodoc2: Yes. He had an intention..........to kick out at his opponent.
Any smart player could have prevented the counter by pulling the West Ham player's shirt and gotten a yellow card......but your moronic friend does not have the sense to do that. His defective brain told him the only thing to do was kick the player.
Elampiro if you were in Rooney's position would you have done the same thing Rooney did? Talk now let us know

Are you now saying he deliberately earned a red card?

He wanted to stop the counter but he did it the wrong way. Don't also sound like this stuff has never happened before in soccer. Even Scholes used to pick silly cards or even reds.

Just be happy we won.

As far as we won the match I am not worried. If una like make una curse Rooney. I was also disappointed. Good we have Falcao to maintain our two strikers and one AM shape.

afrodoc2: Smh.
How is that connected to whether Rooney intended to lash out or not?
Ok they both had the intention but Rooney was stupid enough to carry out his plan by kicking out at the opponent. A simple shirt pull or trip could have done the same thing but your moronic friend lacks the intelligence to make such distinctions.

So you agreed he had an intention?

If you agreed no problem at all.

Odunharry: u no knw elamps b4?

Rooney had an intention, he executed it the wrong way. Did you not see replay showing we had one man at the back and West Ham were to counter?

If he kept a low foot for the foul, he would be a hero.



* But you, I have identified you as a Rooney hater. So u cannot be fair anytime.

igbsam:

Why do u think he doesn't pass to Falcao? Any conspiracy?

But he passed to him last time when Falcao hit bar.

As for today, I don't know why.

igbsam: I tire for Elampiro oooo! He needs to watch the replay. Rooney had the intentions jor!

So the guy that foul Rafael and stopped our counter didn't have any intention too?

U no know ball.

Dadehmola: Did you watch the game at all? Rooney had no intention of getting the ball - he angrily kicked out at the westham player

His intention was to foul the guy and pick a yellow at worst. It was the shape of our defence he saw that made him try foul the guy.

igbsam: Patrick McNair............This guy has a future with the senior team

Elampiro, No more arguments about rooney in this thread. Your super star has let everyone down. Make i no hear phem! from your mouth about rooney. He is a shithead and his temper is rather doing more damages to his career. He ain't worth dat amount he is being paid. And i want to ask, why does he always refuse to pass to falcao ?

Rooney had good intention but the execution was poor. He should have kept his foot low. There was only one man at the back.

igbsam: Crystal palace beating a team we could not beat last weekend..............

They play alike. Agbegi football.

Thank God o. Rooney almost cost us.

Kudos to all the 10 soldiers who fought.

What has Rooney done there? Rooney why?