‘Nothing wrong with the Europa League’ – Van Gaal tries to shrug off United crisis
No turmoil at the club insists manager despite humiliating Champions League exit
Louis van Gaal played down the scale of the storm gathering around Manchester United and claimed that expectations of the Old Trafford club need to be reassessed.
Van Gaal's management of United has come under closer scrutiny following his team's exit from the Champions League at the group stage following their 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg on Tuesday night.
The former European champions are now heading for the Europa League but Van Gaal insists that winning that competition will not be straightforward with the status of United, and the level of European competition, much changed in recent years.
Van Gaal said: “We are now in the Europa League and we have to win the Europa League but that is not easy. I can say that in advance but nobody hears me because they don't want to hear.
For me, the Europa League is a big competition
“A club as Manchester United has to win. That's the past. You have to analyse the club now and you cannot compare it with 10 years ago. There is an evolution in European football.