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Juan Mata's brilliant free-kick secured another win
for the resurgent Red Devils, and their manager believes the youngsters
are giving the side a new lease of life
A late Juan Mata free-kick sealed United's fourth consecutive victory in all competitions, sending the club level with Manchester City in fourth as they kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive.
And Van Gaal saluted his young team, crediting the new faces in the dressing room for bringing "joy" back to what had become a deflated atmosphere around Old Trafford.
"We are fighting, and struggling, but in the struggling we can play fantastic matches like Arsenal, and also Midtjylland," the Dutchman commented.
"I think the youngsters have given us a lot of spirit, and now when you see the dressing room full of joy and all the players are there laughing, that is beautiful. I think that shall also accelerate the recoveries of the players."
Van Gaal also defended his team's performance against the Hornets, pointing to the Spanish star's spectacular winner as evidence of their quality.
"I don't think it's ugly because the free-kick was a fantastic shot from Juan Mata. The performance was not so good, you are right, because with the weather it was difficult to play good football and it became a physical game," he said.
"When you see the size of the Watford players compared to ours, it does not benefit. I have congratulated my players because it is not easy in these games."
He also pointed to a tactical switch involving Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as being key to the Red Devils' improvement on the night.
"Martial was not in the game as a winger, and Rashford was not in
the game as a striker, so we changed and from that moment we were better
as a team. But it was good that Mata scored," Van Gaal explained.
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