Manchester United news: LVG admits tough training regime cause for injury woes during the 2014/15 campaign

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has taken the blame for the Red Devils' injury woes last season. The Old Trafford club suffered multiple injury troubles at the start of the season, which saw various youngsters get a chance and the Dutch manager believes that it was due to his tough training regime, which the players were not accustomed to.

According to the Independent, between the period of Van Gaal's arrival in the summer of 2014 and December of the same year, United suffered 43 injuries. This is an astonishing number, but the manager believes it was because the players were not used to his methods. The Dutchman, however, asserts that the players have now adapted to his ways, while revealing that he also sold players based on their inability to adapt to his rigorous training sessions.

"That was my fault. I was training them harder but they were not used to training like that. Because I am convinced you have to train now they are used to that step. I also let go players because of that and I bought new players. I think they are more used to my training sessions. You can see that with the new players. You can see which players are always injured," Van Gaal is quoted as saying by the Guardian.

The former Bayern Munich manager, however, admitted that it was the first time he faced such an injury crisis in his career as a manager. He also revealed that he prefers a small squad of players, and that he is happy with the team currently at his disposal despite admitting to being one short.

"In my career I never had injuries like that [last year]. I have always preferred small squads. I think I have the smallest squad in the Premier League. You always have to train but with structure and not too hard."

"No it is not [squad being too small], otherwise I would have had a bigger squad. I believe in smaller squads because you need perspective, otherwise the motivation is a doubt. Last season we had 24 players. I think 22 players and three goalkeepers is enough so I am still one short," the Dutch manager explained.