Manchester United vs. Liverpool: Key Comments from Louis van Gaal's Presser

Louis van Gaal opened up on David De Gea's decision to stay with Manchester United ahead of his side's crunch clash with Liverpool at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

The club confirmed on Friday the goalkeeper had signed a new four-year deal with the club, which included an option to extend his stay for another year, per Mark Froggatt on United's official website.

According to Chris Winterburn of Metro, Van Gaal expressed his delight at the Spaniard's decision and reiterated United's stance that they sent his papers to Real Madrid within the allotted time.

He said: "I believe a player has to want to play for a club. I'm very happy he has decided to stay. He was my best player last [year]. I never think, I have to make an analysis. I asked Ed [Woodward] if we sent the papers late, he said no. I was only thinking about De Gea having to suffer."

Asked whether De Gea could feature against Liverpool in what would be his first appearance of the season, he added:

The 24-year-old was left out of United's opening four Premier League matches, with Van Gaal instead opting for Sergio Romero as De Gea was deemed not to be in the right frame of mind to play. However, the 64-year-old now appears confident the 'keeper is ready:

The Dutchman also addressed reports, such as one from Simon Jones in the MailOnline, that a number of his players are unhappy with his man management and training methods. Per Winterburn, he said:

"

I think I have a superb relationship with my players. It is very positive they are coming to me, it means they trust you. It is a repeated story from last year. 

Our philosophy means we have to refresh the group. The whole dressing room has been changed. Can you imagine your friend leaving?

[Wayne] Rooney and [Michael] Carrick came to me and said the dressing room was flat, we are telling you this because we want to help you. I am a communicator so I go to the dressing [room], then we discuss a lot of aspects, what I can't say here but not what you've written. ...

I say things like I feel but also how it is. I can say only that I have a very good relationship with my players.

"

Further, he appeared confident he still had the backing of the fans, despite the club's mixed transfer window and fairly uninspiring start to the season:

Van Gaal opened up on Anthony Martial's late, sensational £36 million move to United, which many have been sceptical of due to the striker's unproven track record:

The manager stressed the young Frenchman must be given time to adapt to his new surroundings, hinting that Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao failed to do so in their year with the club:

Last, he explained his thinking in sending Adnan Januzaj on loan to Borussia Dortmund and likewise seeking a temporary switch for James Wilson, who will be sent to a Championship club, according to Simon Stone of BBC Sport:

United fans will no doubt still be rejoicing at De Gea's new contract, and based on Van Gaal's comments, it seems likely he will start on Saturday, particularly in such an important game against their archrivals.

Van Gaal also raised a salient point on Martial. While his hefty price tag will likely see some fans demanding an immediate return on United's investment, it's important to remember he's just 19 years old, and heaping undue pressure on his shoulders is unlikely to help.

The majority of fans will likely throw their full support behind the youngster, though, and should he feature against Liverpool, he'll have the perfect opportunity to ingratiate himself with the Old Trafford faithful.