Louis Van Gaal fights to restore team confidence for FA Cup tie

Louis van Gaal has admitted teams may no longer fear facing Manchester United, as he prepares to take his side to Shrewsbury Town for tonight's FA Cup tie.

On Thursday United were beaten 2-1 by Midtjylland in the Europa League, despite the Danish champions having last played competitively on December 10th. This followed United’s 2-1 defeat at Sunderland in the Premier League the previous Saturday.

The manager knows his players’ confidence is low and he faces a fight to ensure they bounce back and avoid defeat in the fifth round by the relegation-threatened League One club.

Van Gaal said: “When you see the last two games it’s maybe like that but maybe we have to make them fear again, because we lost the first match in the Premier League also, Swansea City when I came. But then still we had a very good home record last season and we can do that again, it’s a question of winning matches in a row.” Challenge Immediately after the defeat to Midtjylland Van Gaal spoke to his squad about ensuring they are ready for the challenge from Micky Mellon’s side. “You cannot continue with losing games and the question is how we lift ourselves because Shrewsbury Town will fight for the second balls and play direct and that kind of thing,” Van Gaal said. “You have to cope with that but you have to keep the ball better and not give unnecessary losses away. I think the first goal [against Midtjylland] was an unnecessary loss and the second goal we could have won that duel much more easier but that was the substitute who came in [and scored the winner].”

Van Gaal would understand if Shrewsbury now thought their task was easier. “Maybe. I hope so. Because then it is a benefit for us,” he said. “It’s not a question of being the favourite for the Cup. It’s a question that you have to see every match as a match that you have to win. So OK we have lost 2-1 but we can overcome [in the second leg] and also Monday we have to win. And when we win we are in the next round and we are coming capable to win the FA Cup. When you see Chelsea against Paris Saint-Germain it is 2-1 but still Chelsea has a chance to overcome so that’s football.”

David de Gea became the latest United player to be injured when he hurt a knee in the warm-up before the Midtjylland game. It made him the 14th squad member unavailable and Van Gaal believes none can return for Shrewsbury.

Good goalkeeper

“I don’t think so,” he said before praising the display of Sergio Romero, De Gea’s replacement, against the Danish side. “He’s a very good goalkeeper and he has proved that already in the beginning of the season, and it was not easy to do what he has done. So the first goal was deflected and I thought from the bench he has to also catch that ball but it was deflected so you can also say we were again unlucky.”

Chris Smalling wants United to start strongly against Shrewsbury. "The aggression that you start the game with is something you need to match with the other team, something I don't think we have done recently," the defender told MUTV. "We need to make sure we win our battles and our second balls and then when it starts to die down we can overcome them with our football.

“This competition is massive for us, particularly because we’re not fighting at the top of the league like we expected to be. We’ll go to Shrewsbury as favourites and we need to control that tie.” Guardian Service