Bad day for LVG

LOUIS van Gaal’s Manchester United got an important week off to a “very bad” start after Juan Mata’s red card helped West Brom to victory.

The doom and gloom around Old Trafford was lifted after a run of four wins – an upturn in fortunes halted at the Hawthorns as Albion took a 1–0 win.

Mata’s first–ever red card for two bookings in less than three first–half minutes was key to the visitors’ downfall, with Van Gaal calling it the “turning point” in yesterday’s Barclays Premier League encounter.

The Dutchman is hoping the disappointment doesn’t negatively affect United, especially as this week sees a Europa League trip to Liverpool followed by an FA Cup quarter–final against West Ham.

“I think always this match has an influence on the next match so it is, for us, very bad,” Van Gaal said.

“It is a bad moment and it wasn’t in my opinion a necessary loss. I don’t want to say that we deserved to win, no, but we didn’t deserve to lose.”

United ended the weekend sixth in the league, three points behind Manchester City. Manuel Pellegrini’s men also have a game in hand.

It was Albion’s first league win at home to United since March, 1984.