Michael Carrick : It was a massive win

“This is the place to win, it’s a massive game,”

“It doesn’t matter where we are in the league, or where they are, it is always special but it had that extra bit of importance. They were chasing us and right on us so it was a massive win.”

“The first half performance was as good as we’ve played here. They always press and make it a high-tempo match, but I thought we got the ball down, played some terrific football and caused them a lot of problems. We were deservedly ahead at half-time.”

“I thought the second goal was a sensational finish”

“The first one was also good, mind you, a good touch and finish on his right foot, but the second was pretty special. I’m sure he’ll remember that and it’ll get played a few times.”

manutd.com

Phil Jones : We have proved people wrong

About the Match Winning against the Kop

“We have proved people wrong up to now,”

“People can assume and predict, and it is up to us to prove them wrong. That is what the lads enjoy doing. We enjoy proving them wrong. So far we have done that. But we said before the Liverpool game that not everything was riding on this match. We have another eight massive fixtures coming up with some tough ones away and at home. We know we are in for a difficult last eight games.”

“People criticising does spur you on. You are always going to get critics. We are at a massive club here at Manchester United and if things aren't going as well as they should be then there are always going to be people wanting to have a dig and a pop at you.”

“We just take it on the chin. It is water off a duck's back. We know if we continue to produce performances like this week and last week then we will be fine. We have been well aware of the criticism we have had. We are professionals and we are in a job where people have an opinion about you and they are entitled to it. We just have to get on with it.”

About His Duet with Chris Smalling for Replacing Rio Ferdinand & Nemanja Vidic

“It has been difficult for us,"

"It had been documented that me and Chris were going to be the next centre backs at United but it has not gone how we would have liked it. Somebody told me the other day that we have actually only played alongside each other about four times in four seasons.”

“You cannot build a partnership on four games. Hopefully now we have had back-to-back games together we can keep it going and keep playing well together. We complement each other well. It is not just Chris and I going for the position though. We have some great players in the squad. Marcos Rojo has come in and been terrific. He has been a great addition to this squad. It [the competition for places] is healthy. It is what we expect and what we want.”

manutd.com

Juan Mata : It feels amazing

“It feels amazing,”

“The game was massive for us because of the position in the table, the rivalry and the history between the two clubs. I think today is the happiest day since I came to the club. I am very happy for the fans, for the team and happy with the performance and the three points.”

“The second goal was nicer, it was a good pass from Angel [Di Maria] and I just tried to score with my first touch. But overall I think the performance of the team was the key for the win. I am very happy because of the goals, but I am happy about how we performed, how we defended. We knew that Liverpool were going to push until the end and we fought.”

 “I think we played better against 11 players than against 10,”

“It was tense, they had nothing to lose and they were more dangerous [in that situation with 10 men], where you just have to be offensive and create chances. And they have the players to do it. I think we kept our shape well and didn’t allow so many chances. It’s tough to play here at Anfield but it was a great game.”

“The first half was very good, like against Tottenham, and I think the team is reaching that level that we should play at. We have the players to do it and it is very important that the team is performing at the best level at the most important stage of the season. We have to carry on and keep winning and winning.”

“This win is important, but it’s no more than three points. We have some very important games to go against direct rivals. But you could feel from the beginning of the week how much the supporters wanted us to win here. It’s a massive game, the biggest in England, and that is why we are very happy.”

manutd.com

Angel DI Maria : We are ready for Liverpool

“We are all aware that a number of big games are just around the corner, and the season will be decided by these fixtures,"

"We know all about these upcoming games and we have been thinking and talking about them for quite some time now. We've known that everything would be at stake over this final period of the season.”

"Everyone at the club is 100 per cent confident, we know we want to get back into the Champions League and that we want to be fighting it out. We'll battle hard right to the end of the season. From what I know of the club, United always fight right to the end and that’s what we’re going to do."

manutd.com

Louis van Gaal : It is not as easy as everyone is thinking

“I was very disappointed at half-time because we made the same error against Yeovil Town and Queens Park Rangers,”
“We played in the same style of play [as the opposition] and you don't have to do that.

“In the second half we played much better, we built up the game from behind and played no more long balls. Then we could have scored but we didn't so now we have to play again.“

“I know in these matches every aspect of a game is against you. The crowd is against you - that is nice I think - but also the pitch and also the defensive organisation of the opponent. Everything you can imagine is against you.“

About Cambridge
"Cambridge are the weaker team - everybody knows that - and you have to solve that problem [of how to beat them]. You cannot always solve that problem and I have seen that a lot of times. But fortunately we are still in the FA Cup. We have to play at home and we have to beat them.”

“It's fantastic for them,”
“I think a lot of players have dreamt of this and they fought until the end. Also, in the first half they have created one or two possibilities. You can lose these games, in spite of the possession in the second half. So it is not as easy as everyone is thinking.“

“I’m very happy we're still in the FA Cup. Okay, we have to play another match but I don't think that's a bad thing because this season we don't play in European competitions so it's good we have an extra game in February.”

manutd.com

Louis van Gaal : About Angel Di Maria Role

"He played in the 4-4-2 in the left midfield position, but in the 3-5-2 he does not play so much because he has been injured," 

"Then he came back and I tried him as a striker because we also need pace in that position. We have to stretch the pitch – that is an important aspect of a striker, that he can stretch the pitch. Then you make the pitch bigger and your midfielders can play in a bigger space and play a better positional game than ever.

"So I tried that – I had to try it because I didn't have the preparation at the beginning of the season [Di Maria joined in late August]."

"It is very important that the players are comfortable. I would like them to feel more comfortable, but we have to do our preparation in the season so we are doing a lot of things during the matches," he explained."

"Of course it is very important to win all your games but that is not possible in the Premier League. We have had a fantastic run of results, though, except Southampton at home, and up to now I am pleased. We are going the right way."

manutd.com

Juan Mata : About Set Piece Taker in Man Utd

"The manager decides [who takes them] before each match,"
"We have very good takers. We have Wazza [Wayne Rooney]. Ander [Herrera] can take them, then there is Angel [Di Maria] and Marcos Rojo says he can take them too, although I don't know about that yet!"

"Robin [van Persie] as well, so we have some good options. We work on set-pieces two or three times a week. We practise free-kicks [direct shots] and the ones like we scored [against Stoke]. It’s important to have good headers of the ball and also important to have players who can take free-kicks, and that’s what I try to do."

manutd.com

Michael Carrick : I was Nice to be Captain

“I had a chat to the manager about it [being named vice-captain] and it’s great for me for him to think like that,”
“It’s probably a natural thing with me being one of the older players and more experienced, that’s the natural step – it’s great. I managed to be captain when Wayne missed a game [Stoke in December], which was nice, but it’s not the be all and end all of everything. It’s achieving things with the team that means more to me, but it’s nice to be recognised.”

About Wayne Rooney
“Wayne has just got quality about him, he’s just a good footballer with his passing, knowledge of the game, his creation of chances and scoring goals," Carrick declared. "He’s an all-round good player, better than good obviously, he’s got a lot of skills that most players don’t have.
“You can compare them in a way but it’s such an easy thing to say. Both players are their own players in their own right and have their own qualities. Scholesy was such a fantastic goalscoring midfielder. With Wayne being the natural goalscorer he is and playing in midfield there is a similarity, but I don’t think you can compare them as they’re so different.”

manutd.com

Gary Neville : United Defence is Lacks of Control

About ManUtd Defender
"With the likes of Smalling, Jones and Evans we still have great hopes for that penny to drop,"
"They're still developing and picking up injuries but when they stop and the penny drops you think: 'We've lived with his faults, development and now we're getting the benefit of it.'

"There is no doubt that Jones, Smalling and (Luke) Shaw have talent but they need experience, maturity and injuries to stay clear and they will fly."
"When I look at the United defence what it lacks is control,"
"I see players that have talent but they're all individually working, not having controlled movements together of in-sync. That comes through understanding and from playing together."

"The reason that Chelsea have the best back four in the league is because they have good players, they play every week without many injuries."
"United have been absolutely blitzed with injuries in those positions for the last three years."
"At times they look all out at sea but you have to say in Louis van Gaal's defence, he has had Darren Fletcher in defence, Michael Carrick in defence with Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young as wing-backs that have done well."

About Michael Carrick
"At the start of the season we were struggling, ask yourself who wasn't playing? Michael Carrick wasn't playing," "Now he's playing and the club went on a great unbeaten run."
"When you play with Michael Carrick you think there is authority, control, peace."

"When you are on a football pitch playing against Liverpool or Manchester City, you need peace around you as well. You sometimes don't want people running around.
"Scholes and Carrick together was peaceful. It was like going into a bar and hearing a piano playing.
"It's relaxing. Listening to some good rock is good and you like that too but sometimes it's nice to listen to a piano. Carrick's a piano."

football365.com

Marouane Fellaini : About Match-Winning against QPR

“It was important to win because we have to keep going,”
“We have to win every game to stay in the top four. Every team wants to play in the Champions League, so we have to keep going in a lot of games.”

About the Goal
“It was a good pass, there was good control and a good finish. It was important to score early in the second half because we knew in the end it’d be difficult, which it was. It was a physical game, with a lot of challenges. We had to win the second balls. It was difficult, but we stayed patient. We knew we would score, and we did.”

manutd.com

Louis van Gaal : Pace is Always Important, and Defensive Too

"I think pace is always important, which is why we try to play with Angel Di Maria as a striker,"
"When I changed the shape, I wanted speed or pace also in the attacking line, that’s why I changed in that way. It’s a change in attack that brings lot of risk, but we have won 2-0 (against QPR) and I think it was deserved."

About Defensive Field
"The defensive organisation has been good from the beginning,"
"We have only one match against Leicester City that was five goals and, because of that, we had a bad average against us, but I think we have a very good defensive organisation so that is not a problem."

“It's not only defensive organisation you have to judge,”
“For example, against Southampton, we had 60 per cent of ball possession. We were the dominant team but we lost and the result is, of course, always the most important aspect.”

“Defensively, everybody was saying I don't have the right defenders but they cannot write that anymore because this kind of figure [only conceding seven goals in 12 matches] is, of course, very good.”

manutd.com

Angel Di Maria : About FIFPro World XI honour

“It was a privilege and an honour to be named in the FIFPro World XI at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich on Monday,”
“To be named among the world’s elite players is truly humbling.

“Since I was a young boy, all I have ever wanted to do is play football, so to receive awards like this is an added bonus. It was a great night and I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me.”

"From the start of the season to now, you can see we've grown,"
"We weren't great at the beginning but we've started getting a few victories under our belts.

“There are some people saying that we're not playing in a particularly good style or that it's not the old Manchester United - but it's not. We're beginning something new here. We've got a new style, we've got a new manager and we're all working hard to make sure we're putting Manchester United back where it belongs."

manutd.com

Wayne Rooney : About Player and Goal of the Month in December

About Performance in Desember 
It’s always a tough month, December, and, as a player and a team, you have to dig in because it’s physically demanding. I thought we did well as a team and I scored a few goals from my role in midfield. It’s always great to get on the scoresheet and to create a few goals was also nice.

About Tight Schedule in December
Not every two days no! [Laughs]. Of course, it’s great to play games and it’s great for the fans over the Christmas period to be able to go and watch their team play. As I said, it’s physically demanding so the recovery we do is always the most important thing to make sure we’re right and ready for the next match.

About His Position in Midfield
It’s different obviously but it’s a role that the manager has given me and it’s one that also gives me license to get forward. You have to make sure you do your defensive duties as well because it’s an important position on the pitch. I’ve tried to do that the best I can. Hopefully, I can keep doing that and keep learning and improving.

About Goal of the Month
It was a great piece of play from Antonio [Valencia]. I managed to back the play up and Antonio saw me and picked me out and I managed to finish it. It was a great feeling to score against Liverpool.

About Scoring to Liverpool
You always love scoring goals and scoring against Liverpool for me, for this club, is always nice. It’s certainly up there for sure.

manutd.com

Phil Jones : About United's Loss After 11-Match Winning Streak

"I think losing is always a little setback but it's nothing more than that,"
"We have to look forward to the next game and make sure we get three points. We have been on a decent run and we need to go on a new one. It's back to the drawing board, we will evaluate the game and move on. It's as simple as that. We will look forward to the next game and prepare right for it. Hopefully, we can win."

"There's a lot of confidence still in the dressing room. We have lost the game, the lads are disappointed but you have to move on quickly. You can't dwell on these results. We have done okay over Christmas. We would have liked to have picked up two more points against both Stoke and Tottenham but now we need to get a bit of a run."

"It's a learning curve," he added. "It doesn't just happen overnight. You don't just click your fingers and you are used to playing in a formation. It's like anything. But we are improving in training and we want to get better. That's the main thing. Everyone of us in the changing room wants to get better, to learn and that's only good for us."

manutd.com

Daley Blind : About His Dissapointing after Match-Loss against Soton

“It’s very disappointing,” admitted Blind,
“The first feeling was that we gave only one chance away in the first half, maybe the chance in the first minute, then after that we played really well defensively. But when we get the ball we have to be more patient, and wait for the chances to come. Sometimes we were in a bit of a hurry.”

“After they went 1-0 up, we made some good chances and had one gone in we could have scored another one and maybe could have won. But, we missed them and then it was always going to be difficult. They were all in defence, and like I said they just had the one chance, so it’s a pity.”

“We have to bounce back, we have to stand up as a team with each other and do the best we can in training, every day, and have a good week because we need a win next weekend,”

manutd.com

Dusan Tadic : About Match-Winning against Manchester United

“It’s a really important win against a good opponent,”
“We are really happy and I just want to thank the fans. They were brilliant.”

“This is a win for all them and all who support Southampton. Sure we are in history now, but I think Southampton has more belief. We can come here to Old Trafford and believe in our skills”

“It’s a really nice experience, we are doing really well and this is because of all the people in the club, the coaches, players and fans. We need to keep going like this.”

“I think when we played at home to Manchester United, we deserved more, we deserved the three points but we got zero. Now everything has come back and we are happy with it.”

“We must just keep going game by game and see what happens at the end of the season. We are really happy but also we think about Ipswich on Wednesday.”

About his Goal Celebration :

“You don’t think about it. Usually I don’t put my shirt off,”
“In that moment I felt I would do that. I don’t know why, it’s always interesting when you score a goal. You don’t think about what you’re going to do – that’s football.”

saintsfc.co.uk

Wayne Rooney : About Match-Loss againts Southampton

“I think we deserved to win the game, but that's football,”
”Overall we had the better chances and played the better football, but we were punished for not taking our chances.”

“I thought we stopped their threats for the majority of the game, but they had one chance in the second half and they took it,”
“We created three great chances late on and we had a few in the first half too. Southampton defended well but we were the better team and we feel we deserved more from the game.”
“Losing at Old Trafford is always disappointing, but we can’t think about what could have been. We have to move on and start our preparations for our next game.”

manutd.com

Louis Van Gaal : About Match-Loss againts Southampton

“We didn’t create so many chances in spite of dominating the game,”
“We gave Southampton a chance in the first minute but after that we have dominated the game without creating many chances.“
"We created chances at the end, and we played with our heart. I put Fellaini at the top and then we made three big chances but it was not enough. I think Mata had three chances but okay, we cannot change the result anymore.”
“They defended well, [they had] good organisation, but they came for a draw I think and they go away with a victory. That is disappointing.“

manutd.com

Louis Van Gaal : About Winter Transfer Window for United

"When I cannot improve my selection, then I wait," he explained to reporters. "And then I maybe have to wait a year more. Maybe you think that there are so many fantastic players, but it is not like that."

"[However,] I don’t [necessarily] prefer to wait until the summer when I can improve my selections. That I have showed with Valdes."

"When we can buy a player who can improve my selection, the club shall buy. Money is not interesting. It is always quality of the players in comparison with the other players that I have. I have to compare. I have to decide. Money doesn’t play any role."

"Now that I coach Manchester United, I expect more attacking quality," he added. "If it is not this year, then next season or the season after that. We shall improve and you shall see it."

manutd.com

Manchester United sign Victor Valdes

Victor Valdes :
"It is a real honour to sign for Manchester United. I would like to thank Louis van Gaal and the club for allowing me to do my rehabilitation and to train with the team at the Aon Training Complex. From my short time here I can already see this is a very special club. I worked with Louis van Gaal during my time at FC Barcelona and to have the opportunity to work with him here at Manchester United is a dream come true."

Louis van Gaal :
"I am delighted Victor has signed for the club. Victor is a very experienced goalkeeper and his record speaks for itself. I have said on many occasions that Manchester United will always be interested in the best players. Victor has remained very professional throughout his rehabilitation from injury and has been very impressive during his training sessions with the first team over the past weeks. He joins the club as the number two goalkeeper and is a great addition to the first team."

manutd.com