Manchester United vs. Leicester: Louis Van Gaal's Key Pre-Match Presser Quotes

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes the Red Devils “can’t allow” Leicester City to win the Premier League title at Old Trafford on Sunday and said he’s not surprised by the Foxes’ title push.

The visitors hold a seven-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the standings and can win the title with a win over United on Sunday, but per the club’s official Twitter account, the Dutchman said the Red Devils can’t let that happen:

Per Metro’s Chris Winterburn, Van Gaal wasn’t surprised by Leicester’s sustained run of success:

The Red Devils currently sit fifth in the standings and need to finish the season strong to have any chance of qualifying for next year’s UEFA Champions League. Not allowing Leicester to win the title at Old Trafford is one thing, but United are in dire need of a win, anyway.

Per Jack Lang of the Daily Mirror, Van Gaal admitted his team is under pressure: “We have to close the gap so the pressure is on us still. We have to win every game that we have to play. City still have to play against Arsenal, though, so one of those shall lose points.”

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Unsurprisingly, Leicester’s remarkable run was the subject of most of Friday’s press conference, and Van Gaal took the time to answer countless questions about the Foxes.

Per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, Van Gaal thinks it’s a good thing to see a new side win the title:

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It is good for the Premier League and the sport of football that not always the same teams are the champion. We are fighting for the qualification of the Champions League and we are still in the FA Cup, so we have to fight for something and we shall do it. Hopefully, we can beat Leicester City.

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He also praised manager Claudio Ranieri, who he previously went up against while the two coached in Spain:

Luckhurst thought he had a point:

The presser then turned toward Van Gaal’s future with the Red Devils, and the Dutchman made it clear:

Per Winterburn, United’s press officer tried to cut off the question regarding his future.

As reported by Lang, Van Gaal said the Red Devils are in a “transitional period,” pointing out the youthful talent he has introduced to the squad:

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You have to see always the situation of where the club is, and we have seen that we are in a transitional period, and when I was mentioned as the coach, it was also about that we discussed.

When I took over we had more than five or six players above 32 or 33, and then you have to select and buy other players, and there were not too many young players any more in the selection.

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It would be a fitting end to Leicester’s season if they could win the title at Old Trafford, an iconic venue that has already seen countless trophy celebrations. Like the other top Premier League teams, United fell well short of expectations this season, opening the door for the Foxes and Tottenham Hotspur to steal the spotlight.

Van Gaal seems determined not to let it come to that, and with a ticket for next year’s Champions League still on the line, United have every reason to battle for a win on Sunday.  

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