Louis van Gaal is delighted with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Manchester City today, but feels he was a little bit stupid to leave his side with just ten men at the end.
It was Manchester City who started the brighter at Old Trafford, with James Milner and David Silva producing a neat move which allowed Sergio Aguero to slot home in the eighth minute.
But the lead would not last long after Ashley Young got on the end of a cross to turn the ball into the back of the net in the 14th minute.
Manchester United then took the lead when Marouane Fellaini found space at the far post to head a cross past Joe Hart.
The Red Devils' third arrived in the 67th minute to kill the visitors off, with Juan Mata taking advantage of a good Wayne Rooney ball to slot past Hart.
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And a fourth arrived when Chris Smalling was left unmarked to get on the end of a Rooney free-kick only three minutes later.
Aguero made the scoreline respectable for Manchester City by turning the ball past David de Gea in the 88th minute, but it was nothing more than a consolation, while it also came against ten men, with Michael Carrick off the pitch injured.
Van Gaal is delighted with the win, but believes he perhaps should not have brought on Angel di Maria (81st minute) and Radamel Falcao (83rd minute), which meant when Carrick was injured his side had to play out the game with ten men.
"I think so [that it was the best atmosphere I’ve experienced at Old Trafford], because also the result is fantastic", he told Sky Sports.
"4-1 and then I must bring Carrick off because he had a little bit of an injury. It was a little bit stupid for me. I wanted to give minutes to players who are working hard. Some players [at the end] didn't know we played with ten men."
And Van Gaal says that the second half performance from the Red Devils was superb.
"We started badly I think. We were not the Man United side we have seen in the last matches. We were very nervous. I don't know why.
"Then we scored the goal and from that moment there was more confidence in my team. But I think the second half was much better than the first half."
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