Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has conceded that the club’s supporters were right to air their anger during the loss to Midtjylland on Thursday night.
Memphis Depay had given the Red Devils the lead at the MCH Arena in the first half, but goals from Pione Sisto and Paul Onuachu turned the game around and ensured that the Danish champions will head to Old Trafford next week with a narrow advantage.
With United producing another unconvincing display, supporters who travelled out to the game could be heard making explicit chants about the performance having already been left furious with the ticketing prices put in place by their rivals.
“The fans can criticise. They can do it because when you see the second half, maybe they are right,” he told the media after the game, as reported by ESPN FC.
“We have to improve and then the fans shall support us again.”
Meanwhile, the Dutch tactician insisted that he didn’t believe that the issue in midweek was the attitude of the players, but rather their application as statistically they lost a significant number of duels during the course of the encounter.
“It’s nothing to do with attitude,” he said. “All the players want to perform in an excellent way. It is not a case of attitude.
“We were not winning the second balls — that is my analysis.”
Van Gaal will have to continue to contend with an injury crisis this week, with David de Gea joining the long list of absentees after the Spaniard picked up a knee problem during the warm-up for the game. United return to action against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup next Monday, before hoping to overturn their Europa League deficit to advance beyond the round of 32.