THE LEGO MEN TOPPLE LOUIS
LOUIS VAN GAAL admitted that fans were right to hurl abuse at his team in Denmark after Manchester United suffered one of their most humiliating nights in Europe.
Van Gaal’s side were humbled by Danish underdogs FC Midtjylland in the MCH Arena. They return to Old Trafford from the home of Lego — the headquarters is in Billund, 40 minutes away — on the verge of collapse.
Now they must win next week to salvage their Europa League hopes.
United f ans chanted ‘ We’re f******s***’ att he final whistle, and the Dutchman said: ‘ When you see the second half, maybe they are right. The fans can criticise. We have to improve and then the fans will support us again.
‘They are disappointed like we are. I’m very grateful for the fans who supported us but we wanted to win. We have to win at Old Trafford and then we are in the next round. We have to do it but it’s not easy.’
United suffered a blow before kick- off when David de Gea injured his knee in the warm-up. But having taken the lead through Memphis Depay, van Gaal acknowledged they should have beaten a team lying third in the Danish Superliga who had not played a competitive game since mid-December. He was not the only one. ‘It’s just not good enough, it’s not acceptable,’ said midfielder Michael Carrick. ‘It’s got to be a lot better. We scored a good goal but didn’t kick on. We should have won that. With a performance and a result like that, we’re going home very disappointed.’
The defeat followed Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Premier League strugglers Sunderland and puts van Gaal under huge pressure again ahead of Monday’s trip to Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.
He pointed out that de Gea’s injury meant he was without 14 players in Denmark following the news Wayne Rooney will be out for at least six weeks with a knee injury. But he admitted Midtjylland simply showed greater desire after the break.
‘In the second half, they were winning every ball and that is very disappointing,’ said van Gaal. ‘But when you have 13 injured players and, a few minutes before the game, add another player to the list, it is difficult to cope.’
Even a depleted United, including Scotland Under-21 cap Donald Love in defence, should have been able to handle Midtjylland. It is no foregone conclusion they will retrieve this tie. Yes, a 1-0 win and they’re through. Yet who would presume a clean sheet after this? Everything Midtjylland are good at, United are weak. They are strong from set-pieces, athletic and physically competitive in the box.
When 6ft 7in Nigerian Paul Onuachu replaced Martin Pusic on the hour, he terrified United.
Until then, the visitors had enjoyed the best of the second half, hitting the bar through Jesse Lingard and coming close with a header from Juan Mata. The score tied at 1-1, it seemed a matter of time before they regained the lead. Onuachu changed that.
The 21-year-old’s first involvement was an eye - watering aerial challenge with Chris Smalling. His second produced the save of the game from stand-in Sergio Romero.
But Onuachu flummoxed United after 68 minutes, haring away from chasing defenders to set up a chance for Pione Sisto. And then, in the 77th minute, he scored.
He got the ball on the bounce on the edge of the area. Bringing it under control, just about, he tried a flick. The ball hit his standing leg. Undaunted as United defenders hesitated, Onuachu recovered and shot, low and hard. It defeated Romero at his near post.
Midtjylland could buy the Danish league for the next decade with what United have spent on Mata, Anthony Martial and Depay.
Yet the visitors were never wholly comfortable. Even when they scored, it came 56 seconds after a far better opportunity for Midtjylland.
The see-saw minute began with a United set-piece breaking down. The ball was cleared upfield and Midtjylland were through on goal. To the mystification of all, Carrick and Love had contrived to get in front of Vaclev Kadlec.
He ran, from his own half, with only Romero to beat but panicked and shot straight at the keeper. While van Gaal pondered what had happened to his backline, United scored.
Lingard crossed from the right and Depay at first looked to have stumbled but recovered to prod the ball past Mikkel Andersen.
And that is how it should have remained. Instead, they allowed Midtjylland back into the game. A poor pass from Carrick put Ander Herrera in trouble.
He could not get the ball under control and Sisto pounced. He ran right and fired beyond Romero.
The Danes have spirit. United will need to be goals ahead before they can relax in the return.
The men from Legoland are coming — and United will be absolutely bricking it.