Louis van Gaal has praised his Manchester United players for a "fantastic" response under intense pressure during their 0-0 draw with Chelsea.
And the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager believes the former Premier League champions' fans are the best at any club he has coached -- despite polls showing the vast majority wanted him to be sacked.
While there were banners calling for Van Gaal's removal at Old Trafford on Monday, the crowd got behind his team as they ended a four-game losing run with a committed performance against the defending champions, which reduced calls for his own dismissal.
Van Gaal said in a news conference: "The way we played under that pressure in the style we want to play, that was fantastic.
"Pressure is what you experience by yourself. The players have to perform at a certain time. They have to give everything and that is the most difficult aspect of a player's function.
"In 90 minutes you have to show it, resistant of the opponent and under the pressure of the environment but also under the pressure you put on yourself and you have to cope with that."
Van Gaal, whose team have gone eight games without a win, admitted he had endured similar slumps elsewhere but was pleased with the reception he got.
"Maybe it is the last club, but not the first where I had a bad period," Van Gaal added. "I had bad periods at all my clubs and the best fans are here in Manchester United because in such a difficult period they were applauding the performance of the players and that is fantastic."
Van Gaal's side, who have only scored 10 goals in their last 14 games, had a seventh 0-0 draw of the campaign against Chelsea.
And the Dutchman felt it was the story of their season as he rued the lack of goals his team, who are level with Norwich and Bournemouth on 22 in the Premier League, have scored.
"I think we have played many, many matches like that," Van Gaal said. "We are more or less always the dominating team. We are mostly always pressing. I have to say we have more shots at the goal maybe in the first 45 minutes [than usual] but we are playing certainly at home, that so only we don't score at this time and that is our problem.
"Our problem is not to dominate the game. Our problem is to score. That is not only this game but the games before. Goals are the most important thing but I was surprised because of that pressure that players could give so much at that moment."