adminMANCHESTER. — Louis van Gaal was booed by a half-empty Old Trafford as he thanked Manchester United fans for their support on Tuesday night and stated his desire to “bring the FA Cup home”.
United finished the English Premier League season with a 3-1 win against Bournemouth in the rearranged fixture which means they finish fifth in the table, missing out on the Champions League.
Some fans brought banners to Tuesday night’s game calling for Van Gaal to leave the club. But the Dutchman who has previously admitted finishing in the top four was the minimum expectation for the club, said in a post-match interview that supporters’ targets are too optimistic.
Asked if he understood why fans booed him following the game, Van Gaal told Sky Sports: “Of course, because the expectation is very high.
“The fans are expecting a lot but I think these expectations are much too high. We are a team in transition and I said that when I started here at Manchester United. Maybe I need to bring over the message much clearer than I have done.”
The United boss will certainly be expected to return to Old Trafford with the FA Cup this weekend, when his side faces Crystal Palace at Wembley.
The Dutchman vowed he wanted to win and that the fans deserved to have a trophy more than any others.
“I would like to say something,” Van Gaal began as he tried to break through the sea of boos.
“On behalf of my players, of my staff, of myself I want to thank you for the unconditional support of you.
“Wherever we have played, however, the things have gone on the field you never let us down.
“Thank you for that and we want to bring the FA Cup home to you. You deserve it over any other fan of a club.”
Van Gaal also expressed confidence that he will still be at Old Trafford next season despite his team crawling to an underwhelming fifth-place finish in the English Premier League.
United beat Bournemouth 3-1 in their final fixture on Tuesday night — a game held over from Sunday due to a bomb scare — but it was not enough to take them into the Champions League places as they finished below fourth-place Manchester City on goal difference. United must now beat Crystal Palace in Saturday’s FA Cup final to salvage something from their season and there were ripples of dissent towards Van Gaal in the form of boos as he began a post-match address to a thin home crowd.
But despite persistent speculation linking Jose Mourinho with his job, when asked if he would still be in place on the first day of next season, Van Gaal, who took over at United in 2014, replied: “Yes. Because I have signed a three-year contract.” — AFP.
Online Reporter