Van Gaal Reacts To Anfield Defeat

Louis van Gaal cut a frustrated figure after his Manchester United side suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Liverpool on Thursday evening. Here are the main points from the manager's post-match interview with BT Sport and press conference...

Match summary: "I have to say that Liverpool have created an atmosphere that is fantastic. They played very good; in the first half we could not cope with their pressure. Still, they have chances but David De Gea was fantastic. We [gave away] a penalty and it was a cheap penalty, I think. In the second half, we changed the shape and then we had much more contribution to the game, but we didn’t create many chances. They scored another cheap goal, I think, and that’s difficult because 2-0 is a very difficult result for us."

Pressure from the opposition: "I have seen that we did not cope with the high pressure of Liverpool. For me, it was a surprise that we did not cope with it because they did it in the same way as the home match this year that we played against them. First they provoked that we could play the ball from David De Gea to Daley Blind or Chris Smalling and after that they gave a lot of pressure and we did not cope with that. That has also raised the atmosphere inside the stadium. They also created big chances but we had a very good goalkeeper and he is also part of our squad and because of that we were in the match. Then we got a cheap penalty [against us] I think and that was 1-0."

Liverpool's penalty, converted by Sturridge: "The referee cannot see that [Memphis's challenge which led to the penalty] because I think that he holds him outside the box, and then he [Clyne] is falling down. That’s not because he is kicked by Memphis, but it’s difficult, you cannot see that in one second. You have to be sharp when you give it; if it was outside or inside, I don’t know exactly. It is then, for me, a cheap penalty, but they deserved the goal."

Players affected by the atmosphere? "No, the pressure is not from the crowd, the pressure is from the players on the pitch. They have performed a very high pressure and that was very good of Liverpool. I said that we did not cope with the pressure of the players on the pitch who always give the ball pressure. Whichever player has the ball, they give pressure to him and that was too much. But in the second half we did that and that was also difficult for them."

Second-half performance: "Liverpool were the better team in the first half but in the second half we played a better match than before it. In the second half we tried to press like Liverpool. We have changed the shape and then you saw that Liverpool also had difficulties but we did not create too many chances, maybe two or three. The best one was for Fellaini, I think, the header. But we received another cheap goal. I think Henderson was in an offside position."

Liverpool's second goal, scored by Firmino: "How their goals are existing is cheap, how they managed to score them. I’ve seen the video tape [of the second goal] and I think that the guy who gives the pass from outside [Henderson] is already offside. When you [the referee] are very sharp with the penalty, then you have to also be sharp with the offside. But we gave it away also, that goal, so I have a very nasty feeling."

Only one shot on target is disappointing: "You are right. I cannot deny that. I don't think that we were in the third and fourth phase very creative. But it is also the defence of Liverpool and you can also give the credit for that to Liverpool. We have to improve a lot to create more goals. Okay, one shot, but we also had headers, not in the goal [on target] but outside the goal [off target]."

Fellaini's challenge on Emre Can: “I have to say that Fellaini was one of the best players on the pitch. I’m very sorry when he makes a mistake like that [alleged foul on Can not punished by the referee]. I haven’t seen it."

Outlook for the second leg: "You have to believe in everything. We can also create an atmosphere like Liverpool has done with their fans. And then everything is possible. We have to give pressure to them. We did that in the second half but not the first half."