Football
Nick Ames, ESPN.com writer 9y

Louis van Gaal blames fatigue after Man United draw blank at Spurs

LONDON -- Louis van Gaal took aim at the Premier League's fixture scheduling after his Manchester United side drew 0-0 at White Hart Lane and missed out on a chance to put pressure on the division's title contenders.

The Dutchman named an unchanged side for a match that kicked off just 45 hours after Friday's 3-1 win over Newcastle United and, despite creating a number of chances in the first-half, United faded noticeably after the interval.

Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was instrumental in keeping them out during the opening 45 minutes but, although Juan Mata missed a presentable chance after the break, Van Gaal's team were hanging on at the end and he felt that they had suffered from their short recovery time.

Van Gaal said a second half shaded by a physically dominant Tottenham side was "not football anymore -- it was a struggle for life," and added: "They were tired.

"We had to play a match within 48 hours [of the last one] -- the body is not recovered and I don't have the possibility to change because we do not have the fittest players in the world.

"It's scientifically proven that the body cannot recover within 48 hours. When, as an FA, you allow [teams] to play matches, you see what it's like. The second half was much different to the first half and not only for Manchester United -- also for Tottenham Hotspur.

"I think Tottenham Hotspur can play much better than today, and I also think my team could have played much better in the second half. My colleague [Mauricio] Pochettino changed three [four] players. It's not for nothing."

Van Gaal bemoaned United's inability to convert their chances and admitted that it was the hallmark of a team that was not equipped to win the title.

"I said it also in the dressing room," he said. "When you cannot win the kind of matches where you are the better team, against Aston Villa [where they drew 1-1] and also now, it's very difficult to be the champion at the end of the season. But we are improving every week and I was very happy with the first half."

Even so, he said he still had hope they could succeed and, asked if he felt United would be better in 2015, he replied: "Of course. Of course. Of course, we shall be better, so watch."

With the likes of Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj all missing, a young United bench included three defenders, and Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling and Rafael were all pressed into action during the second period.

Van Gaal explained that rotation was not a possibility before the game, with none of his replacements ready to compete over a full game.

"They were coming back from injury. They cannot play 90 minutes, so maybe they can play 20 minutes," he said. "I took a risk already with these players, putting them on the bench. That's why I could not change. The bench contained very young players. I have to cope with that."

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