Tuesday 3 November 2015 08:45, UK
Manchester United's under-fire striker Wayne Rooney has received the support of his manager Louis van Gaal.
United are preparing for Tuesday night's Champions League tie with CKSA Moscow and they will be desperate to impress having gone over five hours without a goal, including last week's Capital One Cup defeat against Championship side Middlesbrough.
One player who has come under close scrutiny is Rooney, who produced another quiet display in the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday with the England forward failing to get a single touch in the opposition's penalty area at Selhurst Park.
After just two Premier League goals this campaign, critics and some United fans have urged Van Gaal to drop Rooney, but his manager has jumped to his striker's defence.
"I still have confidence in Wayne Rooney" Van Gaal said on his player who is without a goal in four games.
Following the goalless draw with neighbours City on October 25 when Rooney failed to manage a single shot on target, Van Gaal fumed at the ongoing media inquisition into the form of his forward and said: "I have to talk every week about Rooney, why?
"You have your opinion - write it. I don't give any more answers about Wayne Rooney. I am sick of them."
Rooney has scored twice in 10 Premier league games without any assists, while teenager Antony Martial, recently pushed out wide on the left, has scored three times in seven matches with one assist.
United are second in Group B of the Champions league on four points at the half-way stage, two points behind leaders Wolfsburg and level on points with CSKA Moscow.
Van Gaal is hoping the Old Trafford faithful will turn out in force and get behind his side with some supporters having expressed their frustration at their toothless display at Crystal Palace at the weekend.
"I hope they shall support my players," he added. "It's much more difficult to perform on the pitch than it is to do what I am doing - coaching. I hope they will be the 12th player again."
Van Gaal also defended his team's style of play and insisted it was a work in progress.
"It was not always a big Theatre of Dreams," he said. "I am sorry to say that but it is logical also. Now we are making, hopefully, history but it takes time.
"Now we are the best defenders of the Premier League, you say we cannot attack and it's not true. It's only a moment in a process. It's a bad period when you don't score. Football is scoring goals."
