Defiant Van Gaal won’t let legend Scholes’‘sticks and stones’ hurt him

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Louis van Gaal has lashed out at United legend Paul Scholes, saying: “He (Scholes) doesn’t have the responsibility, so he can say everything. Why is he saying something? For the benefit of the club or the benefit of himself ?

This came after Scholes has stated: “I played with some brilliant centre forwards and I don’t think they could play in this team.”

Van Gaal continued: “I don’t want to defend myself because I cannot defend, because he is a legend and he has a lot of resonance, so I hear. I think when you are a legend, you have to speak with the manager or his friend, Ryan Giggs, or Ed Woodward, but not this way, because he will be paid by the BBC or Sky.

“You have an expression – sticks and stones can break my bones, but names (words) will never hurt me. Fantastic, fantastic expression. You do understand the meaning of this?

“When Scholes thinks I should go, then I go. But it is not his responsibility, he is not the Glazers or Ed Woodward.

“I know when we shall lose and lose and lose, I shall be finished, but I shall do everything for this club because, as I have already said, this club is unbelievable.”

United were held to a goalless draw in the Manchester derby on Sunday and then went out of the League Cup on Wednesday after a penalty shootout.

The Red Devils have been criticised for not creating more chances but Van Gaal disagreed, saying: “I think United is always entertaining. I read also the papers and I see it (United’s 0-0 Cup draw with Middlesbrough) was boring, but I don’t think there are more spectators in another stadium than this ground.

“It’s also an aspect, that you play for the fans, therefore I say to you that the stadium is still full and that, in the Capital One Cup, is unbelievable. That is not normal, so they like the way we have played.

“I don’t know, because I cannot imagine how it is in other stadiums, because I have to work, but it is also a fantastic atmosphere, because of the fans of Middlesbrough, but also United, and they have supported the players fantastically.

“In spite of the defeat, when we were going to our dressingroom, they were applauding. I have said that also last year, once or twice.”

Despite the defeat to Mid- dlesbrough after making nine changes, Van Gaal believes that United have improved from his first season when they were humbled 4-0 in an earlier round of the Cup at MK Dons.

He added: “When you go out of the cup, the next day is always like that. As manager of United you know you’re going to have a hard time.

“But we are improving a lot. We got played off the pitch by MK Dons last year and now we are almost in the quarter-finals. I have to rotate because there are a lot of matches on in a week and the players can’t recover. Last year we had 13 points from 10 games and now we have 20 points from 10, and we are in the Champions League. Last year it was not like that.”

United travel to Crystal Palace today in fourth place in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Manchester City. Memphis Depay and James Wilson have joined Antonio Valencia and Paddy McNair on the injury list. – Daily Mail