Louis van Gaal Sets 3-Game Challenge to Manchester United Players

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has issued a call to arms at Old Trafford, challenging his side to win their next three consecutive games after falling to a shock 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday.

United still sit fourth in the English top flight but are now four points away from leaders Arsenal heading into the Christmas break, which Van Gaal outlined as a critical period to Sky Sports (h/t Fox Sports):

"

When I see that my players want to do everything that we ask then I think that’s the most important thing. The cohesion between the manager and his staff and the players, that’s the most important thing. And I have seen also how the bench was participating in the match, so we all wanted to win. And I think that’s the most important thing.

Of course it’s disappointing if you lose two matches in a row in an important week, so now we have to stay there in a position to keep fighting. But still we are in a position, but we have to win. We have now to win three matches in a row for example, to be there still after Christmas.

"

Van Gaal went on to state that he will persevere with the same methods that have put him in good stead for the previous "25 years of my managership," even though said methods don't appear to be getting the job done quite as hoped.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News pointed this out as United's worst patch of form in a staggering 17 years, winning just three of their last 10 and going five without a victory:

United's next three games will concentrate their focus on the Premier League, hosting Norwich City on Dec. 19, then travelling to Stoke City on Boxing Day before welcoming Chelsea to Old Trafford on Dec. 28.

Based on their current form, an away trip to the Britannia Stadium in late December seems like the most difficult task, with Mark Hughes' Stoke having defeated Manchester City last week before holding West Ham to a goalless draw on Saturday.

The injury-hit Red Devils crumbled to their first Premier League loss since the opening week of October at Dean Court, thanks to goals from Junior Stanislas and Joshua King. 

Per Full Time Devils, Van Gaal noted in his post-match comments that his side showed a special weakness in defending set pieces properly, highlighting the need to "stick together" in what's undoubtedly a tough period:

Seeing out the remainder of 2015 with a maximum points haul seems a realistic target for United, but it seems somewhat odd the manager would feel the need to point out their desire for victories.

Some have pointed out that the money spent at Old Trafford under Van Gaal means he has no excuses not to be fighting for the top prizes, but Kristof Terreur of Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws stated perhaps the Dutchman isn't to blame for bad business:

For a club of Manchester United's stature, aiming to win every game seems like something of a given, regardless of how severely the club may be restricted by their long list of current injuries.

For now, United's injury woes may be the only saving grace in terms of defending Van Gaal and the club's poor run of form, which the chief hopes to put an end to before 2016.