Pressure on Reds to deliver

LOUIS van Gaal will again be under pressure to deliver a victory and improved performance when Manchester United host Stoke.

Manchester City stole headlines on deadline day by revealing the signing of the most sought–after coach in the world – Pep Guardiola.

Tonight Van Gaal will hope to avoid a repeat of the heckling he received from United fans as he walked down the tunnel after the last home match – the 1–0 loss to Southampton.

Dour, turgid, unattractive football was the problem yet again for a club who have won just two of their last 10 Barclays Premier League games. For the 11th successive home game, United failed to score in the first half and only registered one weak shot on target.

Van Gaal has recorded 10 goalless stalemates during his 18–month tenure at United. Friday’s 3–1 win over Derby in the FA Cup was a step in the right direction, but Van Gaal knows he could be back in hot water with the United fans if his team do not beat the Potters at Old Trafford.

“I hope we can give the same level of performance as against Derby,” he said