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

Manchester United are looking to clinch a second consecutive Premier League win when they travel to Newcastle United on Tuesday, but manager Louis van Gaal again finds himself under huge pressure.

Red Devils supporters were seen leaving Old Trafford before Wayne Rooney's 93rd-minute spot-kick booked United a spot in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, but Van Gaal claimed their departure was due to heavy traffic, per the Mirror's Jacob Murtagh:

"

[The fans] are thinking that we could not score, and maybe because of the traffic they decide to leave a few minutes earlier. There are many reasons to leave the stadium. When I was looking at matches to analyse our opponents, then I would leave the stadium five minutes before.

You never know the reason. You can be very negative, but we are in the next round, won two matches out of a very bad period.

"

The Dutchman asked the media whether they wanted him to respond to the comments of ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes, who spoke of his dislike for the current United team's playing style on BT Sport after the Sheffield United tie:

A smash-and-grab win over the Blades sealed United's second win in succession, marking the first time they've managed to put back-to-back victories together since November.

Manchester United's fans could be heard sarcastically cheering their own side after they carved a first, genuine chance at goal midway through the second period, and Van Gaal confessed to understanding their angst, per the Guardian's Daniel Taylor:

The slight win over the Blades won't have inspired a great deal of confidence leading into Wednesday's fixture, but Van Gaal proclaimed it's not easy to win against "a defending team," according to Metro's Chris Winterburn.

Despite the boost their FA Cup victory might have provided, Van Gaal acknowledged the Newcastle clash is a must-win matchup and said his team "have to beat them:"

"

We have won two times in a row and maybe it shall give us a boost. You never know. But now we are playing away, it’s also different and Newcastle United is playing very well I think. Ok, I see their game against Arsenal and they played very well.

But they didn’t win and that’s the most important thing in football. I don’t hope that they win against us. We have to beat them.

"

Were it not for Rooney's last-gasp penalty, the Red Devils could have been embarrassed by League One opposition, but Van Gaal was eager to play the close call off as being part of the FA Cup's appeal.

The manager also touched upon the club's two-game winning streak as a platform for further success, according to Murtagh:

"

That’s what is nice about the FA Cup. The lower level clubs give everything to make a result. It’s why everybody looks at this cup. The fans support our team. It’s not an easy time now. How many stadiums were like ours, full?

You can mention how they leave, but you can also mention how they come to the stadium to watch this FA Cup match. It’s a process I’ve said that many, many times. We have ups and downs, but now we’ve won twice in a row and maybe it’ll give us a boost.

"

United enter Tuesday's match sitting fifth in the Premier League and nine points off leaders Arsenal, but a third win in succession has the potential to build some much-needed momentum.

On the flip side, defeat could see Van Gaal's men fall out of the top six for the first time this season, with West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Liverpool all waiting to pounce from below.