As Manchester United gear up for a return to Premier League action at home against Stoke City, manager Louis van Gaal has urged the fans to focus on uplifting the team rather than mocking him.
Their last home game saw the Red Devils lose out to Southampton thanks to a Charlie Austin late goal and Old Trafford will be hoping that they can make amends in the upcoming home game against Stoke City on Tuesday. Heading into the match, Van Gaal has urged the fans to focus their voice on supporting the players.
“It’s not important that they yell at me. It’s more that they are supporting the players, that’s the most important thing. The players have the most difficult task. They have to give a result at that hour with that resistance [of Stoke]. There are no excuses. They have to support – the fans.” said the Dutchman, according to The Guardian.
“When I’m not so popular, then OK. It’s also not the first time that it’s happened with me but I can survive.”
‘Intelligent’ Van Gaal braces himself for angry crowd at the Theater of Dreams
The last time the Dutchman left Old Trafford, it was to a chorus of boos and jeers from the infuriated fans and it looks like he knows what to expect from the fans during the Stoke City match.
“I’m not a stupid man,” he said. “I’m an intelligent man and I cannot predict the atmosphere on Tuesday.
Manchester United desperately need a dominant display to quell the rage that is rising among fans. If they produce another match where they show little attacking intent and fail to get on the score sheet, then the reaction from the crowd will definitely not be any different from the one they got last time around.
