Van Gaal laments poor start

Posted Saturday, April 25, 2015 by Foxsports.com

Louis van Gaal believes Manchester United could have won the league had it not been for their troubled start to the season.

United won just three of their opening 10 Premier League games under the Dutchman and defeat to Chelsea last weekend left United 11 points behind the league leaders, but van Gaal is already plotting his side's route to the top of the table next season.

"Yes, we had a very bad start," the United manager told MUTV when asked if he wondered what might have been this season.

"I have already explained that after several matches why so I don't have to repeat myself but if we had started well, we could have been the champions."

United were without European football this season after their seventh-placed finish under David Moyes last term, but can go a long way to securing Champions League football with victory at Everton on Super Sunday.

Van Gaal admits he did not enjoy watching the Champions League quarter-finals this week.

"Of course I miss it," he said. "When I look to the matches this week also, great matches and also sometimes disappointing because the level was not always high and the difference between the teams was very high, I believe, so I miss it very much.

"I hope we shall achieve our goal for the season and play next season in the Champions League but we still have 15 points to fight for. It is not done yet."