Ahead of West Brom, Van Gaal demands a complete game

Speaking ahead of tonight's game against West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has demanded a complete 90 minute performance from his team.

It is the game, the style, the formation and the philosophy that we have to judge and not the points. The points are coming when we are playing well, and not only well for 60 minutes but for 90 minutes.

United have dropped off noticeably in the latter stages of their games so far this season, and only a superb performance from David de Gea preserved three points against Everton. However, a Monday night kick-off gives United an extra day to adjust after the international break, and Van Gaal has been using that time to work on what's been going wrong.

They [the players] are coming back from the national teams and we had an evaluation about the last 30 minutes against Everton. We have to be professional, we have to evaluate and we have to improve. We have to learn from our faults. There is no psychological benefit from being in fourth.

Explaining where he feels the problem may lie, Van Gaal explained that he had some concerns over fitness, but believes the main problem to be one of teamwork.

Fitness is maybe a point because I have adapted my intensity of training sessions to a lower level. I have to give a certain level because we need to play for 90 minutes. But I think we are fit enough. What I see of my players, they are fighting until the last minute and they are willing to do everything. I am very happy with the passion of my players. We have to work to kill the game. You can do that, not with one, three or eight, but with 11 players. All of them have to think the same, otherwise you lose balls and then we are going back instead of forward. That is what we have to do but that is not so easy. It takes time.

*checks watch* You've got about eight hours, Louis.