adminSAN JOSE. – Louis van Gaal criticised new signing Bastian Schweinsteiger and his Manchester United teammates after the English Premier League giants eased to a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday.
Van Gaal described World Cup winner Schweinsteiger’s performance as “bad” despite Manchester United’s comfortable win over San Jose in their second US tour game.
United recorded a second straight victory on their US tour and never really looked troubled against their mid-table opponents from Major League Soccer.
Juan Mata and man-of-the-match Memphis Depay scored first half goals for United before Brazilian youngster Andreas Pereira added a third in the second half.
But United boss van Gaal was furious at the performance of his team after the break when he made 10 changes, including the introduction of Schweinsteiger.
Van Gaal was unhappy with United’s low key second half display in the 3-1 victory at the Avaya Stadium – and singled out Schweinsteiger, one of his four new signings, for criticism.
“The second half we played very badly,” he said. “Schweinsteiger? He was also bad. Players can play bad, especially when they only have six days training in their legs and they have to play 45 minutes.
“Everyone can think it is easy to step in but it’s not. The first match he played very well and now he played badly, but that is also a process when you only have one week of training.
“We gave the ball away unneccessarily after half-time. Our positions in midfield were not as good as in the first half.”
But Van Gaal did praise Brazilian youngster Andreas Pereira, one of 10 half-time substitutes, who headed United’s third goal.
He added: “What I liked, I think, and that was Pereira. His goal was the only highlight of the second half.”
Juan Mata and Memphis Depay – with his first for United – scored the first half goals.
Meanwhile, David de Gea is set to make his first pre-season tour appearance for Manchester United against Barcelona on Saturday.
A minor injury kept Real Madrid target De Gea out of the first two tour games, sparking suggestions he was being spared ahead of a move to the Bernabeu.
But the Spain goalkeeper was fit enough to go in goal during the warm-up before the 3-1 win over San Jose Earthquakes here.
Van Gaal said: “I have good hope he can play against Barcelona. He was injured as well as well as Anders Lindegaard, so I said ‘go stand in the goal so we have a point of direction for my attackers, but don’t do anything to risk your injury’.
“That is because we have to build him up. I think he can play [against Barcelona] and I hope he can.”
Van Gaal refused to answer questions about Angel Di Maria’s future amid suggestions Paris Saint-Germain are in advanced negotiations with United to buy him.
“I cannot answer that. You can ask every time but it’s a process, what I always say, and when we think we shall have to say something I shall say it.”
Van Gaal also denied suggestions he is in the process of buying a “surprise” new striker.
“I don’t know if I want to buy a striker because I have read in the media that a striker is the surprise. No, that I have not said. But you are saying that, because my answer is like that. No, I mean something else.”
Di Maria – who was given three weeks off after Copa America with Argentina – will join United’s tour on Saturday, along with Marcos Rojo and Javier Hernandez.
But they are unlikely to figure for long, if at all, against Barca or in the final game against PSG in Chicago next week because of a lack of fitness.
“They will arrive on the 25th but cannot play here,” he added.
“It’s the same with Schweinsteiger – you have to first train more, and then you have to play 45 minutes.”-AFP.
Online Reporter