VAN GAAL BLAMES HECTIC SCHEDULE FOR DRAW AT TOTTENHAM

Manchester United missed an opportunity to close the eight point gap on league leaders Chelsea after a barren draw at White Hart Lane against Spurs. Chelsea themselves drawing at Southampton. The draw continued United’s below par away performance this season. With the team winning two, drawing five and losing two of its nine away Premier League games played under Van Gaal.

United began the festive period with a resounding 3 – 0 over Newcastle at Old Trafford and then travelled to London to face Tottenham less than 48 hours later. Van Gaal who for the first time this started an unchanged line up - starting the team that defeated Newcastle.

It was a game Van Gaal described the second half as ‘‘a struggle for life’’, after United had dominated proceedings in the first half with a couple of decent chances, but returning Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris stood between the United strikers and the net.  The French man denied Falcao twice, and also denied Robin Van Persie and Ashley Young. Vlad Chiriches was also quick enough to clear a Juan Mata deflected free kick which hit the post before Van Persie could pounce on the rebound.  It was by far United’s best 45 minutes away from home this season, but the team couldn’t find the net.

Van Gaal in his post match conference said:  "When you play your best first half of the season as Manchester United, at White Hart Lane, a top six club of the Premier League and you play like that, create six to eight chances, open chances, you have to finish that."

"You could see also the difference in the second half - it was not football anymore, it was a struggle for life. Tottenham won the second balls and that's why they were more dominating than Manchester in the second half. "You need also a little fortune. Tottenham could score also in the second half. I'm happy that they didn't."

The United gaffer also brought science into the tensed schedule stating that it is scientifically proven that the body needs more than 48 hours to recover from a previous match.

In his words “We had to play a match within 48 hours. - The body is not recovered and I don't have the possibility to change because we do not have the fittest players in the world.  "It's scientifically proven that the body cannot recover within 48 hours.’’

"When as an FA, you allow [teams] to play matches; you see what it's like.”The second half was much different from the first half. And not only for Manchester United, also for Tottenham Hotspur.''

"I think Tottenham Hotspur can play much better than today. Also my team could've played in the second half much better. You cannot do that."