Van Gaal: The fans must support us again

Daniel Storey

Louis van Gaal says that Manchester United supporters must get behind the team against Stoke.

United fans heckled Van Gaal as he walked down the tunnel the last time their team played at home. The fact their team had lost ground in the hunt for the top four with a 1-0 defeat to Southampton was not the main cause for their ire – it was the dour, turgid unattractive football that was the problem yet again.

For the 11th successive home game, United failed to score in the first half and only registered one weak shot on target throughout the entire encounter.

Yet Van Gaal says that the supporters must support the team against during the home game against Stoke City.

“I hope that we can give the same level of performance as against Derby,” said van Gaal, when speaking to reporters at his post-match press conference.

“Stoke City are a team that every club has a lot of difficulties with. I saw them play against Liverpool and thought they were very good – they deserved to go through. I have to say that I like how Stoke play, very much.

“Our fans supported us fantastically [on Friday night]. I heard the fans of Manchester United more than the fans of Derby County.

“It is important that the fans continue to support the players against Stoke as the players have the most difficult task – they have to get a result at that hour, against Stoke’s resistance and there are no excuses. The fans have to support again.”