Some would say that Manchester United got away again, but manager Louis Van Gaal applauded the way his team fought back after trailing by a goal for most of the second half.
Choosing to start Wayne Rooney, Daley Blind and Adnan Januzaj in midfield, the Dutch manager admitted that his team were second best, at least in the first half.
He also conceded that his team were a really bada in the first half. The 20-time champions finally fell behind to a goal from Cheikhou Kouyate in the 49th minute.
a I think we played really badly in the first half and we showed a lot of spirit in the second half, especially after the goal in the beginning, we gave that goal away, and then we played football after the goal. But you have to do it from the first minute,a Van Gaal told Sky Sports.
a But I have to say what spirit my team showed after 1-0 behind, and I have to thank my players for that.a
Van Gaal finally gave in to the alternate approach in the 72nd minute, by introducing Marouane Fellaini and the result was more than visible. The former Everton midfield was a beast in the air, causing havoc in the West Ham defence a something that eventually led to that equaliser.
a I think with Fellaini you have to change your play style and that we have done and because of Fellaini we have created a lot of chances because I think we had three open chances before the goalkeeper [saved them], and normally you can win the game in spite of the bad first half,a said the United boss.
a But Ia m pleased we have a draw here.a
When asked about the problems United faced at Upton Park, Van Gaal replied: When questioned about the issues the side faced in creating chances through the game, Van Gaal said: a Especially when we had the ball, we dona t play the ball along the floor, but also, when we lost the ball, you have to win the first and the second balls much better than we did in the first half because we know they are playing long balls in advance.
a But all the second balls were from West Ham, and thata s why we have a lot of pressure. And thata s why I think the players lost their confidence with playing the ball on the floor.a
Finally, it was Dutch midfielder Daley Blind who popped up with the equaliser in the 93rd minute.
United, now have, 44 points from 24 games, and are in fourth place, a point behind Southampton who won their game against QPR on Saturday. Following United are, Tottenham Hotspur at 43 and Arsenal at 42.
