Meet the new boss, same as the old boss - Louis van Gaal off to losing start
New coach fails to immediately transform fortunes with an opening-day defeat that was no improvement on last season
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said his team need to learn to cope with pressure after they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City on the opening day of the Premier League season.
The 63-year-old Dutchman is bidding to transform United’s fortunes after a dismal seventh-place finish last season, but his tenure got off to a similarly disappointing start as Swansea claimed a first league win at Old Trafford.
Ki Sung-yueng put Swansea ahead in the 28th minute and although new United captain Wayne Rooney hooked home a 53rd-minute equaliser, Gylfi Sigurdsson gave the Welsh side victory with 18 minutes to play.
United enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season tour of the United States beating rivals Liverpool and European champions Real Madrid before a friendly win over Valencia at Old Trafford in midweek.
While that form encouraged the players and the fans, Van Gaal said it created a pressure that his team failed to handle yesterday.
“Our wins in the United States and our win against Valencia ... The expectations are so high – and I felt that in the first half because I saw a lot of players very nervous, making the wrong choices. That’s a pity,” he said.
“These players have to get used to those expectations, because it’s Manchester United ... You have to cope with that pressure, but that is also a process,” he said.