Van Gaal expecting Jamie Vardy to cause Man Utd problems

Paul Hirst 09:00 28/11/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Stunning season: Jamie Vardy.

    Louis van Gaal expects Jamie Vardy will be a “nasty” problem for Manchester United to tackle when they head to Leicester on Saturday night.

    Vardy will break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 10 straight Premier League matches if he finds the net at the King Power Stadium.

    If his performance against United last year is anything to go by, he will have little trouble rewriting the history books. The 28-year-old scored one and had a hand in the other four goals in Leicester’s 5-3 win over Van Gaal’s team 14 months ago.

    United’s defence has improved greatly since then, but Van Gaal is aware of the threat Vardy will pose to his team.

    Van Gaal described Vardy as a “nasty’’ and “great’’ player who he also likened to former Arsenal and Ajax great Dennis Bergkamp.

    “He was last season a very nasty player for us,’’ the United manager said. “He scored, won a penalty, and now he is scoring 10 games in a row, then you are a great player.

    I only know Dennis Bergkamp as a player who did the same with Ajax. It’s not so easy to do that.’’

    Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri believes Vardy has thrived under the spotlight during his record goal chase.

    “I think it’s good Jamie has this – maybe all his team-mates will try to help him. But the main idea is the team. After there is Jamie, there is me and everybody – the team.

    “I hope for him and the fans he gets the record – but sooner or later someone will break the record. I hope for Jamie he does it. He’s the same (this week). We have a very good spirit, we know on Saturday there will be a very good challenger for us. It’s great for us to improve.”

    Despite being second in the table after 13 matches, some United fans are unhappy with the style of football being played under Van Gaal.

    Dissenting voices were heard again on Wednesday when United put their Champions League last 16 place in jeopardy with a 0-0 draw in their penultimate group game against PSV Eindhoven.

    When asked whether he was worried about criticism from fans, Van Gaal said: “Of course, because the fans have to be happy, you are playing for the fans so you cannot deny that. But also you have to see how our opponents are playing against us, and when you see how they play, you know the difficulty of organising against that type of opponent.

    “We are still not lucky in finishing the chances. We are creating chances, and when we are not creating, then maybe I am worried. But we are not giving much away. That is why we are second in the league and in our Champions League group.’’

    Recommended