Despite sitting 12 points behind Tottenham on the table, Louis van Gaal does not believe there is much of a gap between his Manchester United side and Spurs.
Speaking ahead of United’s match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday (Watch live, 3 p.m. ET online via Live Extra), LVG said his lack of a “senior creative player” is the only reason Spurs are ahead of United.
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Tottenham looked the far better side when they downed Manchester United 3-0 earlier this month, although Van Gaal doesn’t necessarily see it that way.We have beaten Tottenham 1-0 [earlier in the season] and until the 70th minute [this month] I think we were the better team but then there was a miscommunication.
So, I don’t think there is a lot of distance between Tottenham and Manchester United, but the distance is in points. They have won more, they are scoring more and that’s because they have more creative players.
It’s always the case. I have said in advance what we need and in my opinion I don’t have a senior creative player. Everybody knows that.
LVG is really grasping at straws here, as much has changed since that 1-0 win in the opening match of the season. As for the creative player point, that’s a whole different story.
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Van Gaal spent nearly $100 million to bring Angel di Maria to Old Trafford, one of the most creative playmakers in the world. That move proved to be one of the worst buys in Premier League history, as LVG’s stagnant system saw di Maria struggle mightily and leave after one season.
Spurs currently lead the Premier League with 64 goals scored, bounds above United’s mark of 40. While Tottenham does have more creativity in the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, there is a much greater gap between the sides, and it starts with the managers.
