Manchester United have come in for a lot of criticism of late especially after failing to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, but playmaker Jesse Lingard has urged his teammates to put all that behind them, and move on.
“Playing for Manchester United comes with a lot of pressure,” Lingard said to Norwegian outlet Viasat Sport [via Manutd.com]. “If you’re out of a competition, you’re going to get critics, they’re going to start saying stuff. We’ve got to rise above that as a team, move on and concentrate on the next game.”
A lot of the criticism has been directed at manager Louis van Gaal, as the Red Devils have drawn blanks in front of goal, in spite of keeping long bouts of possession. However, Lingard believes that they are creating enough chances, and it is just a matter of converting them.
“We just need to stay positive. We’re creating a lot of chances, we’re just lacking that end product. But we’re working on it and hopefully that will come in the next game,” he said. “Obviously we’re disappointed as a whole group and we’ve got to move on.”
Lingard gains valuable experience in Europe
2015/16 has been Lingard’s breakthrough season, and although the team has come sin for a lot of criticism, the 22-year-old himself has been one of the shining lights for Manchester United.
.
The former England U-21 international had his first taste of Champions LEague football this season, and is keen tom take the positives out of that experience, although his team crashed out of the tournament on Wednesday.
“But since playing the first Moscow game away, I’ve gained that bit of European experience to put under my belt and I’ll look forward to taking it into next year,” he said.