Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Louis van Gaal: I think Manchester United stars are fit enough

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has denied claims that his players are not fit enough.

Van Gaal has admitted that United have struggled in the final half-hour of the last three games, when West Ham and Everton almost scored equalisers and a 3-1 lead at Leicester turned into a 5-3 defeat.

But the Dutchman, whose training regime was questioned after 10 of his players were ruled out by injuries, believes the key is for them to become more ruthless in order to prevent further fraught endings to games.

He told national newspapers: "Fitness is maybe a point, because I have already said that I have adapted my intensity of training sessions to a lower level. But I have to give a certain level because they need to play 90 minutes.

"I think we are fit enough because what I see of my players. They are fighting to the last minute and are willing to do everything, so I'm very happy with the passion of my players.

"But we have to learn to kill the game, and you can do that not with one or three or eight -- we have to do that with 11 players.

"All of the 11 players have to think the same way, otherwise you lose balls unnecessarily and then we are going back instead of forward. That's what we have to do, but that takes time."

Van Gaal, who takes United to West Bromwich Albion on Monday, believes the players would learn more quickly if they were competing in the Champions League this season.

They are not in European football's premier club competition for the first time since 1995-96 after finishing seventh in the league last season, and the 63-year-old said: "When you can play the Champions League, you can compare yourselves as a team with the better players, with a higher level.

"I had a philosophy when I was a technical director of the Dutch Football Federation -- I gave structure to the youth education that the younger players have to play against the better players.

"Then you get development of your players because they are playing better opponents. The chance is better for the players then, especially the youngsters."

^ Back to Top ^