Di Maria & Wilson pace vital - Van Gaal

The Dutchman insists his team do not have a problem creating chances, but highlighted the need to play at a high tempo in the right areas

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says Angel Di Maria and James Wilson will continue to play a big role in his new-look system because of the pace the pair offer in the final third. 

The 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton on Sunday, in which United did not muster one shot on target and were accused of slow build-up play, lead to a wave of criticism for Van Gaal and his team.

"Pace is very important," he told MUTV. "Football nowadays cannot be played without pace, therefore for example Wilson and [Angel] Di Maria are very important for me. That's why they play so very much. But of course the last pass is also very important and we have to improve that. 

"We have enough pace in our playing style, also in our passing, we have enough pace, we could make passes with high speed, but we have to do it on the pitch, at the right time, and we have to score."

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The Dutchman also pointed out that United have lost just once in their last 12 matches, and while Van Gaal admits results are the most important aspect, he says the performance against the Saints proves there is no reason to sound the alarm bells at Old Trafford.

"It's unbelievable that people, most people of the media, are saying this but indeed we have lost once in 12 matches, 0-1, and when you see the game you have analysed that Manchester United was the better team, so it is not so bad," he continued.

"I have read in the papers that I have been nominated for manager of the month, so it is not so bad as some media are writing.

"What I am looking for, what I am analysing, is all the six [away] matches we were the better team, we could have scored and we could have won, but we didn't win, so that is a disappointment, but in the process I have to say that we are always better. 

"Even in the game against Southampton, we played away [a 2-0 victory in December], a very lucky game and Southampton was much better, created in the first half three or four chances, but now [Sunday] they haven't created anything and ok they have won, but our process is going up and that's the most important thing."

United have taken just two points from their last three Premier League games, and were also criticised for a failure to create chances against Stoke City on New Year's Day and Yeovil in the FA Cup third round as well as against Southampton, but Van Gaal says there is no issue on that front.

"In recent games...I don't agree. You can say that we have not created too many chances in the last three matches, but before that we played away against Tottenham Hotspur and we had six big chances with the same system, so it's always dependable of the opponent also.

"But I will say that in the last phase of our attack we failed in the last pass and that is the most important pass. I hope we shall improve that in the coming matches."

However, when it was put to the former Bayern Munich coach that his system appears to be working because the team have conceded just seven goals in 11 games, he disagreed: "No, no, because it's not only defensive organisation which you have to judge. 

"For example against Southampton we had 60% possession, we were the dominant team, but we lose. The result is always the most important aspect. But of course defensively because everybody was saying that I don't have the right defenders, they cannot write that any more because these kinds of figures are very good."