Ahead of presenting the Sir Matt Busby player of the year award to David de Gea, Louis van Gaal gave a speech about the season. He praised the players for not letting the constant speculation in the media about his future effect them.

I think we are always judging the players like professional players, they have to get results, they have to meet the expectations of Manchester United, the biggest club in the world. That is very difficult,” he said. “The expectations are too high. We are in a period of transition. It’s not so easy. But what they have shown, when the media is writing for six months that I am sacked, I can cope because I’ve had it at my former clubs, but for my players it’s not so easy. I am a coach, a manager, who has some authority, and they are reading what it is said in the press every day, so what do you think about my authority to train? So what do you think about the way they want to follow my advice? When the coach is shown like a nobody. I am no what the media is writing, because I am very arrogant, because I am one of the best managers in the world, so it is very difficult for them to cope with that. But they have done it. We are in the final, we are still in the face for the top four, it is fantastic.