Louis van Gaal praises Southampton but refuses to discuss Ronald Koeman

Posted Saturday, December 06, 2014 by theguardian.com

· Manchester United manager says Koeman opinions 'private'
· Van Gaal: Southampton's Premier League position a surprise
· Old feud between two Dutchmen

Barcelona's assistant coach, Ronald Koeman, listens to Louis van Gaal, coach, when they were at the Spanish club in 1999.

A decade after falling out with Ronald Koeman at Ajax, Louis van Gaal refused to discuss his relationship with the Southampton manager as he prepared to take his Manchester United side to St Mary's on Monday evening. Van Gaal did confirm that Wayne Rooney is fit to face the Saints.

Van Gaal had a dispute with Koeman in 2004 when the latter was in charge at Ajax and he was the technical director. This led to Van Gaal leaving the Amsterdam club.

He would not be drawn on Koeman, saying: "I don't have to describe my relationship with the trainer of the opponent. That's more private, I think. We play against Southampton and we have to speak about Southampton and not the trainer-coach."

Van Gaal bristled when it was suggested Koeman's achievement in taking Saints to third is more impressive because the club did not have United's financial muscle in the summer after losing several key players at that time. "I have heard that in the media. Do we know how many players we lost?" said the 63-year-old. "I have never read that. We have lost more players but Ronald Koeman is a very good coach and I know that he can do it.

"It's always surprising that a club like Southampton is in that position now but that's always a matter of coach, players and staff and when you do that it's very good. I don't think money is the question in this. When Manchester is coming clubs are always asking more money and we have to pay because we are Manchester United.

"Do you think Southampton pay too much for players? I don't think so, because they are Southampton. There is always a relationship between Real Madrid and Manchester United and teams like Aston Villa and Southampton."

However, Van Gaal suggested that Southampton are also a surprise package that all leagues can have at the start of a campaign. "It's the same in every country. Every country always has at the beginning of the season a surprise. Zwolle – a club in the Netherlands – was leading the competition in the Dutch league for six or eight matches. It's always like that.

"But as I have said earlier, what always matters is the end of May. That counts. Now it's not so important."

Van Gaal then claimed some of the opposition could have been at Old Trafford by now, in addition to the £28m summer signing Luke Shaw. "They have a very good squad. I know a lot of players and a lot of players were offered to us."

Liverpool travel to Old Trafford six days after Monday's match but Van Gaal said: "I believe I am always occupied with the first match and that's Southampton. Southampton play better at this moment. They have more points than Liverpool so I think the sequence is good that we have to play Southampton now."

Van Gaal confirmed Rooney can start at Southampton and said Jonny Evans is set to return after an ankle injury. "The news is very good [about Rooney], he shall play. Evans is coming back. He is fit to play. [Phil] Jones is coming back but not fit to play. He needs training sessions and maybe also matches in the second team. But he is coming back. He is fit to train. That is also very good. We are seeing already light in the tunnel."

He was cautiously optimistic regarding Ángel di María's hamstring tear: "It's not a bad injury, but I am not a doctor. I have to say it like a manager, not like a doctor. But I think he shall recover very quickly."