Manchester United vs. Swansea: Louis van Gaal's Key Pre-Match Presser Comments

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal maintains his club have the “best fans” despite the ongoing criticism of his performances, and he believes 2015 was a successful year for the team, with the exception of the month of December.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the club's match against Swansea City, he said he has experienced poor spells with every club he has managed, per Simon Stone of BBC Sport Online:

United are winless since November and have lost four of their last five matches. The club crashed out of the Champions League during that span and dropped to sixth place in the Premier League standings.

But if you take away the Red Devils' poor run in December, 2015 was a “very good year,” according to Van Gaal. Per the Daily Mirror's Joe Mewis, he said:

"

We have fulfilled the wish and our aim in the first season that ended halfway through 2015.

After that we have managed to give balance to the team and that resulted in October and November in us being first in the Premier League.

Then we are out of the Champions League and that gives us a big blow, and we are still in that period, so when you don’t assess December, it was a very good year.

"

United made a strong impression in their last Premier League outing, a scoreless draw against Chelsea, and Van Gaal believes it was a perfect example of how his squad always seem to dominate matches without scoring, according to the club's official Twitter account:

Per Mewis, he couldn't help but state the obvious, pointing out how goals win football matches:

"

At home we have played many matches like that. Only we don’t score this time and that’s our problem. Our problem is to score.

Goals are the most important thing.

I was surprised because of the big pressure that we missed chances.

"

Manchester United's first match of 2016 will be against Swansea City, a team Van Gaal has never beaten. The Dutchman isn't planning anything special for the Welsh outfit:

"

It’s always the same. You make a game plan to beat your opponent. We have lost three times to Swansea but then you have to analyse why you have lost.

It’s always like that. And then you continue with the same vicious circle of working. It’s not any magic. It’s looking to what has happened and what you can improve as a team but also as an individual player.

"

Finally, Van Gaal was asked about the pressure he and his players are under, but he stated the pressure he experiences comes from himself and his players, per Metro's Chris Winterburn:

December was a month to forget for United, and there's no denying Van Gaal enters the new year under serious pressure. He can't afford more bad results, and perhaps just as importantly, he needs to find a way to have his squad play inspiring, vibrant football.

The January transfer window could provide a solution, but Van Gaal's main focus should be on building confidence within the dressing room. Talent isn't the issue for United―performing consistently and playing with flair is.

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