Manchester United Manager, Louis van Gaal, was happy to see his charges secure a safe passage to the FA Cup fourth round following a tough match against Yeovil Town.
Strikes from Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria gave the Reds a 2-0 win in a hard-fought battle on Sunday afternoon and Mr van Gaal believes the players deserve some credit for their resilient display.
“It’s always difficult to play against such teams,” van Gaal told BT Sport.
“They gave us not so much time and every ball came under pressure. I have lot of respect for the players and coach of Yeovil Town – it was not so easy for us.
“In the second half, we had a little bit more time and space, we played better and were more patient,” he added.
“We kept the ball better also and, because of that, we could score the winning goal.
“We dominated the game, more so in the second half. They had one chance from a set-piece, but we were organised and Angel Di Maria cleared it away.
“It’s just simple organisation. I think they maybe had one more chance after a mistake from one of my players, but that’s it.”
On Di Maria’s impact on the game, the coach said, “It was class, and not his first from outside the box. It had a little bit of luck, but you need that, I’m very happy for him.”
The victory did not come without some price for the reds as Rafael and Luke Shaw were forced off during half time.
The Brazilian has a suspected fractured cheekbone, while England international Shaw sustained an ankle problem.
The defensive pair did not reappear after half-time of the FA Cup third-round tie, with the Reds bringing on Juan Mata and Jonny Evans and reverting to the back-four.
