LVG: Falcao Not 'Humiliated'

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has defended his decision to play Radamel Falcao in the club's U21 side earlier this week.

Falcao has endured a difficult time since arriving at United on loan from Monaco on the final day of the summer transfer window last year.

And, having been an unused substitute for Monday’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal, he then found himself starting for the U21s against Tottenham at a near-deserted Old Trafford 24 hours later.

But Van Gaal says that playing in that game was in no way ignominious for Falcao, pointing out that he regularly gives big-name players the opportunity to build their confidence in U21 fixtures.

“That is one of the aspects, that I let my players play in the second squad,” said Van Gaal.

“I have read in a lot of papers that it is a humiliation. I don’t think so.

“It is a professional attitude of the manager, of the management of the club, but especially also of the player.

“Falcao has not reacted like the media react. There is a big difference."

Falcao was not the only famous name to feature against Spurs, as Van Gaal observed.

“Not only Falcao has played, (goalkeeper, Victor) Valdes has played, also Rafa da Silva has played,” he said.

“Rafa da Silva played a wonderful match and scored a wonderful goal. Because of that, he can grip again his confidence.

“It can pick up all the players who play in the second squad, because that is a lower level and they can play for more than 70 minutes, for example. And that is not normal in every training session.

“So, every player needs rhythm, and that is why. We pay a lot for the players, so I think it is normal that they play football for us, and that can also be in the second team.

"I have explained it already, five months ago. Every player who does not play, has to play sometimes. Not regularly, but sometimes, when we think that it is needed for them to play more minutes in the second team.

“Falcao did not play the best match in the second team but he tried to do his utmost and more I cannot ask from players."

Falcao - a dual Ballon d'Or nominee - has scored just four times for United and, despite playing for 72 minutes in the U21 game against Spurs, he again failed to find the target.

Van Gaal said: "You never can know (how a player will perform). We are looking for the solution for him but you never can know because a lot of aspects you cannot control, neither as a manager or a player.

“And that is also the beauty of this football world. You can give fantastic performances in another country but not the one you are playing in at present. It is not the first example and it shall not be the last example.

“A lot of players need more time to adapt to the new situation, new culture, the higher rhythm of the English game.

“So, you can easily write ‘he cannot play football’ or something, but I cannot say that and I don’t want to say that, because Falcao, and all the other players, are working very hard, and I am very pleased with their attitude.”