United free to express themselves – Lingard

JESSE Lingard has revealed that Manchester United’s last two free-flowing performances are the result of manager Louis van Gaal removing the shackles from his players.

The 3-1 FA Cup win at Derby was followed by an emphatic 3-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Stoke. Winger Lingard suggested manager Van Gaal had changed his tactics to give his players more freedom.

He said: “Now we are playing with that freedom and we've got a lot of energy in the team. It's a weight off our shoulders and we can just play football."

It might have been a difficult campaign for United, but their position is superior to that of fellow giants Chelsea, whom they play on Sunday afternoon.

Controversy continues to dog the London outfit, with club legend John Terry revealing this week that he is not being offered a new contract and striker Diego Costa continuing to attract the headlines for all the wrong reason.