Newcastle 3-3 Manchester United: Louis van Gaal blames team for St James' Park draw

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says his side are to blame for twice losing their lead and drawing with Newcastle United at St James' Park. Wayne Rooney's double had seemingly put the visitors on course for victory before Paul Dummett lashed home a 90<sup>th minute equaliser.

Rooney's penalty and Jesse Lingard's second goal of the season had put Van Gaal's side into the ascendency before Georginio Wijnaldum's volley and Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty saw the Toon peg them back. England captain Rooney struck again to re-establish United's lead before Dummett's late intervention boosted Newcastle's survival bid.

Referee Mike Dean was at the centre of controversy, awarding penalties to both sides the second of which saw him penalise United defender Chris Smalling for wrestling Mitrovic to the floor. Van Gaal disagreed with the decision but the Dutchman has refused to blame the officials for his side relinquishing their advantage.

"We threw it away," the United boss told BT Sport. "You have to finish the game already much earlier and in spite of the referee also gives a penalty. I think it is a duel. I think the video you see that Mitrovic is pushing the head of Smalling and when you do that you cannot decide which is the worse. But the referee is not losing our game, we our losing by ourselves.

"When you want to avoid the header of [Marouane] Fellaini by putting your hands to the ball, it is not ball to hand; it is the hands to the ball. I don't think there is a discussion. In this world you can always have a discussion but I do not think so.

"I think we were unlucky. When you see the penalty – the second goal – and the third goal which is deflected it was also unlucky. Before that we are running behind and you have to run forwards and push the ball under pressure and we didn't do that and you get these kinds of things.

"We could have scored six goals I think, there were many big possibilities. But when you lose two points that is very, very sad and also everybody knows it is our own fault – it is not the referee or the opponent. We did it ourselves. We have given two points away."