Van Gaal worried about his misfiring strikers and the prospect of early Champions League exit

Louis Van Gaal’s side has scored only six goals in the last eight games

Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has admitted he’s worried about his side’s lack of goals in recent games, as per the report on Independent. United played out a 0-0 draw against PSV Eindhoven at Old Trafford in the Champions League Match Day 5 and they have left them facing the risk of exiting the group stage.

The 20-time English Champions have handed themselves in a situation where a draw or loss against Wolfsburg will not ensure their place in the CL knockout stage. Whereas, if PSV beat CSKA Moscow in the final group stage fixture, they will finish ahead of the English side.

It was yet another lacklustre performance by the Red Devils, which left former United midfielder Paul Scholes reflecting that Van Gaal has ‘sorted the backline, but they don’t look like they’ re going to score goals’. The Dutchman has admitted that the fact that they scored only six goals in eight games was becoming a concern in the camp.

“Of course I am worried but I know also that goals are coming and going. It is not a consequence of good or bad performances.” United boss admitted in the news conference.

“Today we could have scored at least three goals.”

“It was not the most difficult chances, but we didn’t score and the next game you can score out of nothing. That is football.”

The former Barcelona coach couldn’t explain why his side performed poorly on the night, insisting that his players are ‘human beings’, after all.

“That is dependable of the shape of the evening, the shape of the moment,” Van Gaal added.

“They are human beings and also the opponent, how they play the game and how they defend or attack and the reason, the real reason you never know. You can guess but never know.”

Fellaini’s introduction made life easier for us: Cocu

On so many occasions in the past, United have had the habit of deploying Marouane Fellaini in the centre forward position and subsequently knocking long balls to the tall Belgium international.

It has worked in some games and Van Gaal tried using the ‘last resort’ in the dying minutes of the game by bringing on Fellaini in place of Bastian Schweinsteiger. However, PSV manager Phillip Cocu has admitted his side to operate with more space after the change in tactics and made life easier for the Dutch side.

“We knew if he came on the game would be more direct. I thought it was positive for us,” Cocu said.

“We were prepared for it and the team did well and we got more space in midfield and on the sides.”

Van Gaal unhappy with his team’s performance in the second half

Van Gaal had expected his side to improve in the second half after making the changes, but he was disappointed that it did not work and his team did not respond to it. Club captain Wayne Rooney has been below par this season, and the Dutchman has admitted the England international has not been ruthless enough for the Old Trafford side.

“In the first half I can say it was average but in the second half in spite of my changes it did not improve,” he insisted.

“No, we're not. I think we need to score more goals as a team and, as I said before, in the first-half, if we get one goal, it's a completely different game.”

“We could control the game and they would have to come out a bit more, but it never happened and so they can sit back a bit more and try to hit us on the break, which they nearly did a few times. It's a learning curve for us, but we can't go on saying it's a learning curve. We have to start turning these games into victories.”