Trailing the Belgian side 1-0 at home via an 8th minute Michael Carrick own goal, the Reds looked in trouble in this Champions League preliminary round match. But then Memphis struck with two goals and an assist.
“I want to kiss him tonight,” Van Gaal said in the post-match press conference after Depay’s star turn at Old Trafford.
The Dutch international equalized within five minutes of Carrick’s own goal, then he put United in front two minutes before the half-time break. And in stoppage time, he set up Maroune Fellaini for a crucial third goal.
Fellaini’s goal gives United a valuable two goal cushion for the return leg in Bruges on August 26.
But Van Gaal is a hard man to please, and his tender words had hardly been uttered when he switched to criticism: "When you score two goals and the assist also, normally in the world you are the hero. But for a trainer-coach, it's different.
“It is the same questions that everyone asked about Adnan Januzaj after the match against Aston Villa. Then I said something about the unnecessary ball losses of Adnan, but also [Wayne] Rooney and Memphis.”
Depay was top scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie last season with 22 goals for PSV Eindhoven, but he had better focus on his ball retention if he wants Van Gaal to stay infatuated with him…