Monday 3 November 2014 07:04, UK
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal was unhappy with Chris Smalling for his sending off in the defeat to Manchester City, but proud of his side for battling with ten men.
United faced an uphill battle from the moment Smalling got himself sent off late on in the first half after picking up two bookings in the space of eight minutes.
Smalling picked up his first yellow card for needlessly impeding Joe Hart as he tried to clear the ball and handed his second booking for scything down James Milner.
Van Gaal had no complaints with referee Michael Oliver sending off Smalling admitting the England defender, who later apologised for his actions, was "not very smart" to make the challenge on Milner when he was already on a yellow card.
"I think the first yellow card for Chris Smalling, I did not see but OK, the referee gives a yellow card," van Gaal told Sky Sports. "Then you know as a player you have a yellow and you cannot do what he did for the second yellow card. That is logical.
"I say also a lot of things to the players and despite that they do not always follow what I have said. There is also emotion and sometimes you cannot control your emotion but it was not very smart."
Despite going down to defeat van Gaal remained upbeat about his side's display as United pushed City all the way in the closing stages and came close to grabbing an equaliser.
"I said to the boys that the willpower, the labour was unbelievable," added van Gaal.
"When you can give that, you can be very proud but in the end we have zero points and in sport it is always the goals that count.
"We were so close, despite of playing with 10 men. We created still more chances than in the first half. We were close but not close enough today and we have to improve."
