Bournemouth vs. Manchester United: Key Takeaways from Louis Van Gaal's Presser

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal told the media ahead of Saturday's trip to Bournemouth that the club "must win" the Europa League after their exit from the Champions League in midweek.

The Red Devils failed to make the knockout stages of the Champions League following a 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg on Tuesday, and Van Gaal said clinching the crown in Europe's secondary contest is now the target, per Metro's Chris Winterburn:

Van Gaal went on to proclaim that "you [the media] are writing the Euro [sic] League is nothing, but it's important to me," according to Winterburn. Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will also be in the Europa League round-of-32 draw, along with the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Porto.

The tactician pointed out that he's already won the competition during his days with Ajax, as quoted by Neil Custis of the Sun:

Yet despite the dour mood surrounding Old Trafford in the wake of United's group-stage exit from Europe's first-tier tournament, Van Gaal assured fans there have been positives, per the Times' Oliver Kay:

The Red Devils currently sit fourth in the Premier League, level with rivals Manchester City and three points behind leaders Leicester City. After 15 games, the club have one point more than they did at this stage last season under Van Gaal.

The fear is that given the millions invested in the squad of late, United aren't advancing quickly enough under the Dutchman, but Van Gaal has "no doubts" his plans will be realised, per the club's official website:

"No, I don't have any doubts. You can lose and you can win in sport—you have to accept that. As a manager, you have to work very hard and I am working very hard, as are my players. The problem is that we have to meet with the expectations and at a club like this, they are very high."

Jon Super/Associated Press

The Red Devils cannot afford to lose any of their prominent figures at this time, but while injuries on the pitch are a concern, there's also speculation linking assistant manager Ryan Giggs with the vacant Swansea City position.

Old Trafford favourite Giggs has been tipped to replace sacked manager Garry Monk, but Van Gaal remained calm regarding the notion his No. 2 could return to his native Wales, according to Kay:

United still boast the best defence in the Premier League after conceding just 10 goals in 15 games this season. Some have lambasted United's unimaginative approach under Van Gaal, and he argued that "of course you will criticise," per Winterburn.

Bournemouth won't be an easy matchup for the title contenders following last Saturday's 1-0 win at Chelsea, but Van Gaal's comments suggest it's merely a matter of time before his side can start adding to the trophy cabinet once more.