Manchester United players 'forgot to press' as we gave Liverpool a sniff in the second half - Louis van Gaal

 
We forgot to press:Louis van Gaal's side found it difficult to play against 10 men.
Joel Watson22 March 2015

Louis van Gaal thinks that Manchester United made the victory over Liverpool more difficult than it needed to be by 'forgetting to press'.

United were 2-0 inside 60 minutes - following Steven Gerrard's speedy dismissal - but Van Gaal felt his side were guilty of surrendering possession far too easily in the second period.

He told Sky Sports: "We played very well in the first half. Maybe as good as against Spurs but in second we didn't play very well. Like always, when you play against 10 you forget to press. We had unnecessary ball losses and we brought Liverpool into the game. Most of the players were thinking 'maybe he can do it'.

"We kept the ball and created a lot of possibilities, not big chances, but a lot of possibilities to score. I said whoever could beat the pressure shall win. Juan Mata was very good. He played always good in my opinion with me so he's one of my most constantly playing players but sometimes you also need balance in your team and you have to select other players. Now he has played very well and did this position very well.

Liverpool v Manchester United - player ratings

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"It's an amazing result for the fans, because we've beaten Liverpool three times this season. We now have a gap from positions five, six and seven which is very important."

Manchester United are now five points clear of Liverpool in the Champions League race, and are just two points shy of Manchester City in second.

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