Louis van Gaal praises Ashley Young in the aftermath of Manchester Derby win

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal feels that the pride of the club’s fans is restored

The scoreline in the aftermath of the Manchester Derby perhaps did not reflect Manchester United’s domination of the game. Barring, collectively 15 minutes, Manchester United were in full control at Old Trafford. Speaking after the game, he highlighted his pleasure at the four-point lead that the Red Devils now have over their Manchester rivals.

“This week the fans can go on the streets, hat up and say: 'We are the better team because goal average (over the two Manchester Derbies this season) is in our favour’,” he added.

On United’s comeback

The Dutch manager was unhappy with his team’s performance in the beginning few minutes of the match, referring to a “nervous” look of the side’s display. He went on to say, “The second half was fantastic. Maybe (it is) the best feeling (as United manager) but not the best performance because we started very badly, more or less like against Burnley but after the assist of David de Gea (for Young's goal), we are regaining our confidence and we scored the second goal from a fantastic attack also.”

Praise for his players

The United manager was also full of praise for his players, specifically Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini. “He (Ashley Young) was fantastic,” he said. “He was our best player. When you have a big contribution you can play in a team and Ashley has done that. He has always played with me.”

“Fellaini also because he was injured a lot of times but from day one he is the player who is always doing what I asked. You can say (he was) not always very good but (he was) never bad. That is also important for a manager that a player always gives a certain level of performance.”

Carrick injury

Van Gaal was also self-critical in his decision to leave Michael Carrick on the pitch despite a potential injury. Van Gaal said, “It is my fault, not his. A standing ovation for the players was fantastic but of course it was an error from me that I give too much minutes to my substitutes because it is not so wise to change all your three possibilities.” The United boss added, “He was wise to step off but we have to wait and see tomorrow. He had a stiff calf.”