Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has said that there is no reason for him to step down from his current post.

Van Gaal has come under immense pressure after United were knocked out of the Champions League and have gone winless for eight consecutive games in all competitions, which includes their 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Monday.
However, Van Gaal reiterated that he will not resign and added that his side were “dominant” during their clash with the Blues even though the scoreline doesn’t suggest it.
“For me it’s not an interesting subject because I cannot have any influence on that, I can only work on my players,” he told BT Sport. “You’ve seen they’re fighting for me and have given a good performance. Even after this result the fans were applauding, so I can’t say I’m very much concerned. You never know in football but I have full confidence in the board.
“When the players can give such a performance with this pressure then there is not any reason to resign. I shall not do that. I have a contract, it’s not a question of staying, it’s fulfilling my contract.”
The 64-year-old revealed that this is not the first time there have been calls for him to step down as he endured the same treatment when he was manager of Ajax.
Van Gaal also believes that if United were to go on a winning streak, all the criticism aimed at him and the team will stop.
“It happens too much, it’s not the first time [being written off],” he said. “My first year as a manager [with Ajax] was much tougher, they yelled every week against me. Then I won the UEFA Cup and it stopped.
“People are still applauding. Not everyone, but the most important thing is that the players can do what they’ve done today and the fans can be satisfied.”

Source Foxsports

England manager Roy Hodgson paid tribute to Wayne Rooney on Friday after a landmark year but said the striker must keep performing well for both club and country ahead of Euro 2016.

Rooney, 30, became England’s record goalscorer when he converted a penalty against Switzerland in September to surpass Bobby Charlton’s long-standing mark of 49.

Hodgson, who oversaw a perfect European Championship qualifying campaign with 10 wins from 10, praised the manner in which Rooney handled the pressure and increased media interest associated with the record.

“I think he handled that quite brilliantly,” Hodgson told Sky Sports News HQ.

“I think he handled the press comments around it before breaking the record very well. Of course it was that penalty that did it. That was an important penalty and I thought it showed how dedicated he is to his profession.”

However, the England captain has experienced contrasting fortunes with Manchester United, netting just twice in 13 Premier League games as the Red Devils have dropped out the top four in addition to suffering an early Champions League exit.

Hodgson believes Rooney has embraced his leadership role within the England set-up, providing a good example for the younger players, but the Three Lions boss stressed the striker needs to produce on the pitch as well.

“The most important thing for him as far as I’m concerned is that he’s got to keep playing well for Manchester United, playing well for England when we have our games together and that he still leads by example on the field,” Hodgson added.

“It doesn’t matter how much good work he can do for us off the field in terms of being some sort of a mentor for the younger players. We really need him being Wayne Rooney on the field scoring goals, making goals and with his drive and commitment leading us forward.”

Source AFP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that his players must maintain the standards they set against Manchester City if they are to keep pace in the Premier League title race.

Monday’s 2-1 victory over third-place City moved Wenger’s side to within two points of leaders Leicester City and they can consolidate that position when they travel to face Southampton on Saturday.

The Frenchman claims the performance against Manuel Pellegrini’s side confirmed the growing belief in his team after a season marred by inconsistency.

But he is well aware of the risk of failing to build on recent progress ahead of the fixture against a Southampton side struggling for form.

And he has challenged his players to match the levels they set in beating City and confirm their credentials as a team capable of sustaining their title challenge.

“It was an important win for us, but we already had a good confidence level,” Wenger said.

“To win these sorts of game, you need to believe you can do it. Overall what came out of the game was a strong team attitude and strong team effort.

“Everybody put hard work into the game. We got a positive result against a strong team who will fight for the championship, so it was an important night for us.

“I believe for us, the most important is to focus on ourselves. We have not to speculate too much on any weakness of Southampton.

“When you look at their team, they have the potential to be a very strong team. We have to convince ourselves that we again need another top-level performance.”

Mesut Ozil was again outstanding against City, providing two assists to take his season tally to 15, while Olivier Giroud also maintained his current form with his 12th goal in 14 appearances.

‘BACK TO BASICS’

The form of those two players, together with the return to fitness of Theo Walcott, has strengthened belief that Arsenal can end their 12-year wait for the title, but Wenger knows that nothing can be taken for granted.

“We have had quite a positive year and stabilised our defensive record and improved our record against the strong teams in the Premier League, so it looks like we are on the right train going the right way,” he said.

“It’s down to being pragmatic, putting the effort in to win your next game and worrying about your performance. That gives you a chance over a longer distance to maybe achieve your goals.

“At the moment, it’s miles too early to say who will win the Premier League. We’ve played 17 games — we’re not even at halfway.”

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman reacted angrily to his side’s 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur — their fifth in six games — which left the club in 12th place.

Koeman made it clear that he was unhappy with the performance of his players and centre-back Virgil Van Dijk admits that he must improve after his error cost his side a goal against Spurs.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but I think we need to stick together, get back to basics and start winning again,” the Dutchman told the club website.

“It’s part of the game. Sometimes you make mistakes, but you have to move on and stay strong.”

He added: “If you win one game it can turn around really quick. It’s a beautiful game to play on Saturday.

“Hopefully we can get a good result and start playing our football again. Last game against Tottenham we played very well first half and we should have rewarded ourselves.

“We need to start with the same intensity because they are in a great place right now, they are doing very well, but I think at St Mary’s everything is possible.”

Source AFP