Stoke vs. Manchester United: Key Takeaways from Louis Van Gaal Pre-Match Presser

Louis van Gaal used his pre-match press conference for Manchester United's date with Stoke City to reflect on his first six months in charge of the club, reserving special praise for the fans who have stuck with him after a difficult start.    

As shared by the club's official website, he called United's fans "amazing":

The Red Devils started the 2014-15 campaign with a series of embarrassing defeats but have since returned to their winning ways, going unbeaten in their last nine matches. Where once pundits questioned whether they could secure a top-four finish, they're now openly talking about the club's title chances in 2015.

The turnaround has been spectacular, and via football writer Pete Quinn, the Dutch manager emphasised how important it was the fans never turned on the club:

He also promised the club would be even stronger in the new year:

When asked about the continued improvement of his side, Van Gaal gave a predictable answer—his philosophy, as well as the return of several key starters. He also believes the ascension will continue, once the players returning from injury have a chance to dig into his philosophy:

Two of those returning players are Adnan Januzaj and Ander Herrera, but neither is likely to feature against Stoke, lacking match rhythm and fitness, per the club's official Twitter feed:

The January transfer window is right around the corner, but Van Gaal has so far refused to shed a light on his plans. It led to this hilarious interview with BT Sport, as shared by Betfred:

He didn't reveal anything new on Tuesday, either, forcing reporters into a series of odd questions. The topic turned to life in England, and via BBC Sport's Juliette Ferrington, Van Gaal has nothing to complain about:

The food has apparently been particularly good, despite what people told him when he first arrived, per the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst:

He has also settled in a nice neighbourhood, according to Press Association's Paul Hirst:

It was clear from the first question Van Gaal never planned on revealing anything new on Tuesday, and instead wanted to look back on his first six months in charge.

The Dutchman continues to be one of the funniest managers in the Premier League when it comes to pre-match pressers, although reporters would undoubtedly prefer a straight answer.

Follow @ReverschPass