In what appears as an attempt to shift blame, embattled Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has said that the team lost against Stoke City on Saturday because of the players’ inability to cope with pressure.
The 64-year-old Dutch tactician’s job is believed to be on the line after the loss, the fourth consecutive loss in all competition’s for the Old Trafford-based club.
In an interview after the game, he told reporters: “We didn’t dare play our football in the first half and then we gave a really bad goal away. At that time it was too much.
“We didn’t play our football because of the pressure and we could not cope with the circumstances either as a group or individual players.
“I said at half-time we had nothing to lose and we coped better after that.
“You can say I failed in my job because they could not cope but in the end the players must do that for themselves. You can say I failed but I don’t think it is like that.”