Van Gaal Thanks And Praises United Supporters

Louis van Gaal has praised and thanked Manchester United fans for their continued support throughout his first six months with the club.

The manager was asked by reporters on Tuesday what had stood out most during the opening part of his first season in charge and while van Gaal was keen to praise his side’s fighting spirit, he also paid tribute to the backing he and the players have received from supporters.

"The thing that has pleased me most is the fans, they are amazing," he told MUTV. "We started the season poorly, but in spite of that they have supported us, they have great belief in their squad and manager. I want to thank them because they've been very important in our weaker moments.

"In terms of the team, I think it has to be our fighting spirit, and I think that's why the fans have supported us every week. In some matches we've been behind, the players have had to fight until the end, and they've done that successfully."

Reflecting on his time at the Old Trafford helm to date, van Gaal added: “It's a process, and you can see every week that we are playing better. We are improving, and the results are coming. The first few games were a struggle, we played better than our opponents but lost a lot of points.

"After seven wins in a row and two draws, we're unbeaten for several weeks, but we can still improve. That's more important, we can improve, and we have to improve."