Vam Gaal: We Must React Like Champions

Louis van Gaal hopes Manchester United will "behave like champions" against Everton and show that important lessons have been learned from the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal.

The Reds were comfortably beaten at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners scored all the goals in the opening 19 minutes, securing a result that forced van Gaal’s men to surrender top spot in the table and drop down to third ahead of this Saturday's resumption of the Barclays Premier League.

The manager is now determined to return to winning ways at Goodison Park. When asked during his weekly press conference if he has analysed the Arsenal defeat during the international break, he gave a considered response in typical fashion.

“We are always evaluating ourselves and we cannot accept that," van Gaal told reporters. "Not only the members of the staff, but also the players cannot accept that from each other because we want to be the champion - so you have to behave like a champion. You have to improve yourself so that in the future you can be the champion. You have to improve every time, which is what I am saying.

“I have analysed over the two weeks and that is awful when you have such a result! You cannot manage it with your players and that is what you have to do as a manager, but all your players are flying out [on international duty]. Especially the last game, because we played on Sunday, they flew out directly after the match.

“Then the players are coming back on Wednesday and also yesterday, like Romero and Valencia. They arrived after the training sessions so they could not participate in our meetings before the game against Everton. It is difficult for me as I still have to speak about the match against Arsenal because you have to analyse and learn from it and improve. I have to evaluate myself and how I prepared the players.

"I changed the sequence of preparation because I gave them Friday off, for example, and that is also an influence. Then I had to play 11 versus 11 [in training] one day before the game and give the analysis of Arsenal also one day before the game.”

Expanding on his point, van Gaal continued: “We went by aeroplane for example when last year we went by train. But the biggest difference was the start of the game. Arsenal had an accuracy of passes that was 96 per cent and that's what Manchester United usually have. I think we had 68 per cent and our overall average was 85 per cent or higher I believe - that is a big difference. After a quarter we had already 90 per cent, but it was already 3-0 and we had lost the game.

“We have spoken about this and that it can't happen again. That is important but it is also difficult. We started so badly and Arsenal were so good, and maybe that's a coincidence but I don't believe in that. I believe in preparation, in focus and in imagination. We have communicated that and spoken to a lot of players, so we have had two busy days.”

Away from the topic of United’s form and the trip to Merseyside, van Gaal was also quizzed on the Netherlands not qualifying for next summer’s European Championship in France, a subject that is close to his heart following his two previous stints as the national team manager. However, the Reds boss was reluctant to criticise anyone involved with the unsuccessful campaign.

“What can I say? It is disappointing, of course, but I cannot judge," said van Gaal. "A lot people can judge but I don't have the experience, I don't see the training sessions, I don't see the players that my colleague can select, so I cannot know that. Some people can do that, but I don't.”