Van Gaal Reacts To West Brom Defeat

Louis van Gaal cut a frustrated figure after Manchester United fell to a first defeat in five games with a 1-0 reversal at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Here are the main points from the manager’s post match interviews with Sky Sports and MUTV...

On the result
"We have played 60 minutes with 10 against 11 and this is the fifth match in 14 days, I believe. So it is very difficult to play against 11 players. I think that’s the reason that we lost this game because we didn’t give many chances away, not in the first half or in the second half when we played with 10 players – the only chance was more or less the goal. So what can I say? It’s a big pity that we have to play with 10 men against 11."

On Juan Mata’s sending-off
"The first yellow card was stupid because you know in advance that is a yellow card. But the second you know you already have one yellow card, so you have to take into account that you always risk a second – it’s difficult. You can damage the benefit of the team but I think the referee also has to know the person who makes the tackle. Juan Mata never tries to hurt an opponent.

"It was not the smartest of fouls by Mata. The referee can whistle but I think he also has to know the character of Juan Mata. It’s his first red card [of his career]; it’s not relevant, I don’t think, but when you give two yellow cards within five minutes, it’s a little bit unbelievable when you know the character of Juan Mata."

On the game after Mata’s red card
"We were very organised and they have one chance and one goal, and we have Lingard’s effort, for example. But we have lost and we have lost three points, and these kind of matches you have to win when you want to be champions or within the first three of the title. We lost and that is not good."

Has playing with 10 men taken a lot out of the team?
"That’s a question before Liverpool; they also played with 10 men, I heard, and we played 60 minutes and a lot of matches – five in two weeks – so it is not positive for us or Liverpool that we have to play with 10 men."

On United's top-four aspirations
"It’s a big blow. You have always chances but I have said in advance: these kind of matches you have to win, especially when you need to close the gap because you have lost too many games before."