Van Gaal Pleased With European Draw

Louis van Gaal admits he was pleased by the UEFA Champions League group stage draw after Manchester United were pitted against PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg.

Of course, the former Netherlands manager has an obvious link to Dutch champions PSV, the club who Memphis Depay played for before joining the Reds this summer. And while some might say Russia is not the ideal destination for a midweek match, van Gaal believes the journey is exaggerated and he is therefore quite happy with Group B.

“It could be worse but it could be better also,” the boss told MUTV at the Aon Training Complex. “We have to look at the clubs now because these days shape is more important than it was in the past. My scout Marcel Bout is already going to the matches of PSV and also Wolfsburg. PSV have to play Feyenoord so that’s a big match in Holland - we have to analyse it."

Asked if United might have to play in front of a hostile atmosphere in Eindhoven, the boss was quick to disagree and pointed towards his many friends and former colleagues at the Philips Stadion. “I don’t think it will be hostile,” he said. “In PSV, the board are friends of mine. They were also my board at AZ Alkmaar, I know them very well and also Memphis is going back.

“He was a great player for PSV, so I don’t think it’ll be hostile for him,” van Gaal continued. “They want to win, they want to beat us and it is extra motivation for PSV. We have to manage that. I know a lot of players personally, so for us it’s a meeting with old friends.

“I have played in Moscow once, against Lokomotiv, and the journey isn’t as long as everyone thinks. It’s a three or four-hour direct flight and the facilities there are good. I think we could have drawn worse."

Meanwhile, summer signing Morgan Schneiderlin is particularly excited to play in the Champions League for the first time in his fledgling career, but the Frenchman insists he will be far from overwhelmed and remains confident the Reds can go far in Europe’s premier competition.

“For us the most important thing is to play well in the group stage," said Schneiderlin. "If we do that and qualify for the knockout stages we’re bound to come up against those big sides. When that comes around we’ll be ready for whoever we face. We’re Manchester United and we’re not scared of anyone.”