van Gaal orders his Manchester United players

“I agree with the fans that we don’t have to use so much the goalkeeper because I have seen also moments that we can play in a higher tempo without interfering with the goalkeeper,” said the United boss.

Van Gaal denied that this showed his players were nervous as they attempt to hang on to one of the Premier League's four Champions League places.

“You can always say that, but every player is at a different height of pressure,” he said. “And every player has to manage that pressure.

“You cannot, in general, say it is a nervous team because maybe six or seven players are always playing arrogantly and they need to play arrogantly to be good.

“And the other players need to be tense to play good. You can say about individual players that they are nervous.

"Then, OK, we have to talk about individual players, but I don’t want to talk about individual players.”