Having picked up a measly three wins from ten games, Manchester United sits tenth in the English Premier League table. One step forward is usually followed by two steps back. A late albeit dramatic equalizer from Dutchman Robin Van Persie secured a point for them against Chelsea after they were well beaten by Didier Drogba's header. There was to be no such story against Manchester City as a Chris Smalling error gifted City their only goal. Louis Van Gaal did not seem completely dissatisfied with the performance. He also decided to utter some words which United fans might not like hearing recently according to Sky Sports:
"I am training in another way than most of the other managers are doing. I train them in their brains. Every player has to know why they are doing things on the pitch."
"We are in a process and that process shall take more than one year. It shall take three years."
"I cannot say when the results are coming. When I did it with Bayern Munich it was December 8. It can be February 1. But it doesn't matter. This is a process of three years. I have signed for three years."
Louis Van Gaal's previous "big club" stint was indeed at Bayern. The journey started miserably in Bavaria but he did manage to turn things around, taking Bayern to their first Champions League semifinal (and subsequently, final) in nine years . He introduced Thomas Müller. David Alaba and Holger Badstuber to the world and turned Bastian Schweinsteiger from an underachieving winger to a defensive midfielder of the highest class. The changes he made are seen even today in Munich. The team reached two more Champions League finals after his exit in 2011, winning one of them in all conquering treble winning season.
However, Van Gaal needs results to show he is the right man for the United job. A win against Crystal Palace would be very helpful to begin with. Palace are struggling, having picked up three losses in their last four. They will be without the injured Stuart O'Keefe, the suspended Mile Jedinak and the ineligible Wilfried Zaha. United will be without Marcos Rojo, Falcao, the suspended Smalling and Jonny Evans.
Can United pick up three points in this one? Interested in learning how you can watch the 2014-15 English Premier League? Check out our EPL Multi-Platform Broadcast Guide.
Man United vs Crystal Palace team sheets
Man United's First XI: De Gea, Valencia, McNair, Blind, Shaw, Fellaini, Carrick, Januzaj, Rooney, Di Maria, van Persie
Man United's bench: Lindegaard, Vermijl, Blackett, Fletcher, Herrera, Mata, Wilson.
Crystal Palace's First XI: Speroni, Mariappa, Delaney, Dann, Ward, Puncheon, Ledley, McArthur, Bolasie, Chamakh, Campbell.
Crystal Palace's bench: Hennessey, Kelly, Fryers, McCarthy, Bannan, Doyle, Gayle.
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