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NEWCASTLE v MANCHESTER UNITED (KO 7.45pm)
19.15 Here is a most interesting piece on Angel, of whose progress Van Gaal urges patience. That, my Dutch friend, is in short supply. Chris Bacombe is the man with the story:
Louis Van Gaal says Manchester United may need to wait until next season to see the best of Angel Di Maria.
Di Maria was substituted at half-time of United’s 2-0 victory over Sunderland last weekend, and has not yet shown the form that prompted his £59 million from Real Madrid last summer.
But Van Gaal says it does not matter how good a player is, there is always an acclimatisation period which can take at least 12 months.
“It counts for all the players that we bought, the first season is always difficult,” said Van Gaal.
“You can see it with every player we have bought. Shaw, Blind, Herrera and Falcao and Di Maria – so it is not a big suprise.
"It is more a surprise if you adapt quickly. When I was in German, Dutch and Spain I had the same experience with players. We need to give him and all the players time and wait and see.”
Di Maria must be judged at United next season, says Van Gaal
19.10 Just over half an hour until kick off. Exciting! Players are out on the pitch warming up. Falcao has to be content with a place on the bench, but United's other under-pressure megabucks player, Di Maria, is in the XI.
19.04 Look! It's Paul Scholes.
18.58 Lovely picture of one of English football's most romantic and storied grounds, the Reebok Nike I Can't Believe TheReductions God Knows What The Factories Must Be Like Poor Devils Direct Dot Com Megadome.
18.46 Here are the teams:
Newcastle: Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini (c), Williamson, R.Taylor; Obertan, Sissoko, Abeid, Ameobi; Rivière, Cissé. Subs: Woodman, Satka, Anita, Gutierrez, Gouffran, Armstrong, Perez
Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Evans, Rojo, Blind, Herrera, Di Maria, Fellaini, Young, Rooney. Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, McNair, Carrick, Mata, Januzaj, Falcao.
18.45 Evening all. A most tasty dish in front of us tonight. They keep writing those articles about what a pig's ear Van Gaal is making of everything, but there they are, in a Champions League spot, and winning quite a lot of football matches. Is it enough? Is it ever enough?
One man who has been a let-down whichever way you look at it is Radamel Falcao. Here's Mark Ogden on the loan situation of the former goal sensation.
Radamel Falcao will be given the chance to save his Manchester United career over the final three months of the season, despite the Colombian’s struggle for form and goals at Old Trafford.
Falcao, a season-long loan signing at the cost of £6m from Monaco last September, has scored just four goals in 20 appearances since arriving at United on the final day of the summer transfer window.
The 29-year-old’s unimpressive return of goals has jeopardised his prospects of earning a permanent move to United at the end of this season, with the club faced a £43.2m bill to secure Falcao on a long-term deal from Monaco.
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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal expects the battle for Champions League qualification to go right down to the wire.
Van Gaal says his team are involved in a "rat race" with Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Southampton for the last two Champions League qualification places.
United sit fourth in the standings, just one point ahead of Southampton and two in front of Liverpool. Tottenham, who have a game in hand are six points back.
Van Gaal agrees with Arsene Wenger's claim that the contest will still be alive when United and Arsenal take on Hull and West Brom respectively on the last weekend of the season - although he does not know whether the Arsenal manager was right when he said 72 points would be enough to secure a top-four finish.
"I don't think of how many points (it will take), but he is more experienced in the Premier League so I want to believe him," the United manager said. "But it is going to the last week, I know that."
If Wenger's estimate is right, United will have to win seven and draw one of their last 11 matches.
That will be no easy task given that they have to face five of the other six teams in the top seven before the end of the season.
United host Spurs, Manchester City and Arsenal and they also have to travel to Chelsea and Liverpool.
Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Southampton have only three fixtures against their rivals in the top seven, but Van Gaal does not seem overly perturbed by United's upcoming games.
He chewed up one question and spat it right back at a reporter on Tuesday when he suggested United had the hardest run-in.
"No, because you said that also in front of the games in the beginning of the season and then we were 13th, do you remember that?" Van Gaal snapped.
"And in spite of all the games that we had in front of us we moved up to third on the 22nd of November after the game against Chelsea."
Van Gaal's powers of recall are impressive, but for parts of this season the play his team has shown has not.
United may have lost twice in 22 matches but some fans have been unhappy with the slow pace of their play.
Alan Tyers will be here from 6.30pm to bring you team news, build up and live coverage
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