LVG would like revenge against Reds after sacking
LOUIS van Gaal has admitted he is seeking revenge on United.
The Dutchman was sacked after two years at the helm for failing to qualify for the Champions League in his second season at the club, while his soporific footballing philosophy turned off many fans.
United won the FA Cup under his stewardship, thereby ending the three-year wait for a major trophy, but it was not enough to save Van Gaal ‘s job, and he was relieved of his duties days after the triumph at Wembley to be replaced by Jose Mourinho.
He has suggested that the chance to ‘get one over’ on United is the only way he could be tempted back into club management.
He is quoted by the Mirror as saying in Rotterdam on Sunday night: “I will probably not manage a club anymore.
“I would make one exception — if a big English club comes for me, than I would do it. Because then I can get the chance to get one over on Manchester United.”
However, Van Gaal bears no grudge against Mourinho, who was lined up to take over.
Referring to the Portuguese being approached by United during the 2015/16 season, Van Gaal added: “Woodward should have come to me and we could have worked on that. I have nothing against Jose.” JESSE Lingard admits United will ‘probably’ have to win their remaining 20 league games to have any chance of winning the title.
Jose Mourinho’s side currently lie 11 points off bitter rivals City in the Premier League, but recovered from last week’s derby defeat with narrow wins against both Bournemouth and West Brom.
City, meanwhile, show no signs of slowing down after impressive victories against Swansea and Tottenham, winning a record 16 games in a row, and have yet to taste defeat after playing 18 of the 19 other teams in the league.
And while Lingard’s eyes are only on upcoming tests against Bristol City and Leicester City, the 25-yearold admits it will take something special to stop Pep Guardiola’s side in this kind of form.
“Probably but we will take each game as it comes,” he said when asked if United would have to claim maximum points from their remaining league games after Sunday’s win at the Hawthorns.
“We’ll concentrate on the next game ahead and see where we are at the end of the season.
“With the squad we have got we have to always believe in each game. Some games we will play bad and win the game and sometimes we will play good and lose the game so it’s one of those hap hazards of football.”
United have averaged 2.27 points to date this season and are on course to finish with 84 points, which would have been enough to win the Premier League in nine of the previous 24 seasons.
And while those damaging defeats to Huddersfield, Chelsea and City have left United with a huge task, already, Lingard believes it is just a case of aiming for 60 points from a possible 60 for the rest of the season.
“I think any other season we would be top with the points we have so as long as we keep winning games that’s the most important thing and we will see where we are,” he said. Lingard has been one of United’s form players this winter, revelling in a free role off Romelu Lukaku and has been directly involved in five goals in his last five games. The England international marked his birthday week in style with United’s crucial second goal against West Brom and has already scored more goals this season than he managed in his previous three at this level. But the Warrington lad has not forgotten what it is like to be on the fringes as an academy graduate stepping up into the first team. “I think you have got to. I think it’s always hard for a young lad coming through,” he added. “For the likes of Scott (McTominay) who has done well when he has come in, Axel (Tuanzebe) also, it’s keep working hard in training and it will eventually pay off.” Jesse Lingard