Louis van Gaal has told Manchester United supporters to aim their criticism at him and not the players following numerous lacklustre performances from his side.

Louis van Gaal is aware of the pressures at a club of Manchester United’s stature and agreed with West Brom boss Tony Pulis that more will be expected next season having been given a three-year contract in which he must win the league.

Spain’s Juan Mata says United are fully focused on dispatching Cambridge United in their FA Cup fourth-round replay on Tuesday after stalwart Darren Fletcher left for West Bromwich Albion.

The Dutchman raised eyebrows upon announcing he had three captains, but this weekend only Wayne Rooney will be available as Michael Carrick prepares for a month on the sidelines.

Dutch manager Van Gaal labelling last week’s 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns United’s best performance of the season will not have inspired confidence ahead of a tough month, starting with Chelsea on Sunday

New United boss Louis van Gaal brought in an array of stars in the transfer window, including Daley Blind, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao.

The prickly Irishman has hit back at his former manager, who criticised Keane in his autobiography last year, with a host of scathing criticisms in his own book

United are still searching for their first win of the season under new boss Louis van Gaal after a 0-0 draw with Burnley at the weekend made it four games without a victory.

Fletcher said he thought about United’s inexperienced, title-winning 1995/96 squad in the dressing room after the disappointment of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Swansea City.

Yesterday, the avid United fan was invited to the Aon Training Complex, where he was introduced Louis va Gaal, a man known for authoritarian-style management, and was left flabbergasted

Fletcher, who joined the Red Devils as a youth aged 11 in 1995, confidently predicts that with the current side United possess they can well surpass the top four target touted by the pundits.