Intro:

With his team having played two games in three days, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal described the second half of the 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hostpur as a "struggle for life," after the teams clashed in the English Premier League on Sunday (28 December).

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Louis van Gaal, Manchester United manager:(on creating chances, but not winning the game)

"But yeah, I... when you play your best first half of the season as Manchester United, we are playing at White Hart Lane, (at a) top six club of the Premier League, you play like that, and you can create six to eight chances - open chances - then you have to finish that... and when you don't reward yourself, then it's normally that the opponent(s) win. But you could see also the difference in the second half. It was not football anymore, it was a struggle for life."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Louis van Gaal, Manchester United manager:(on the unusual substitution of three defenders and whether it was a tactical decision)

"They were tired, the players, they were tired. We have to play (again) within 48 hours (of) a match, the body is not recovered. And I don't have the possibility to change because we have not the most fittest players of the world."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Louis van Gaal, Manchester United manager:(on his feelings about the fixture congestion over the New Year period)

"I have said already one month ago what I think about this. It's scientifically proven that the body cannot recover within 48 hours, so, when you, as an FA, allow that to play matches, you see what it's like. The second half was much different with the first half."