Louis van Gaal has no desire to be a party pooper, but the Manchester United manager still hopes to ruin West Ham’s final night at the Boleyn Ground.
Slaven Bilic was delighted when a late change to the fixture list brought on by the two sides drawing each other in the FA Cup quarter finals saw Upton Park’s farewell pushed back to Tuesday. He may not be so eager to welcome them now though, with Manchester United desperately needing to ruin the party.
Two wins for Van Gaal’s side will secure fourth place and a spot in the Champions League qualification rounds and the Manchester United manager is desperate to repeat last month, when his side emerged 2-1 victors in the Boleyn Ground’s final FA Cup tie.
“We have a lot of respect to West Ham United,” he said. “We are not trying to spoil their party. But we do need the three points, that is different.
“It will be a big night and an emotional night for them. It [playing the final game at the Boleyn Ground] is a negative for us. We have to play against an opponent who says goodbye to the stadium so they don’t want to lose.
“They have already lost to Manchester United in the last FA Cup match [at the Boleyn Ground] so that is not very good for us and West Ham United are a very good team.”
A 1-0 victory over Norwich extended Manchester United’s unbeaten run to six games but it may be Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Manuel Pellegrini’s City side at
he Etihad that does as much good for Van Gaal.
That result left Manchester United two points off City ahead of their trip to Boleyn Ground for their game in hand.
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