Louis Van Gaal factor will get Man United back on top Martinez

Manchester United have been absentees in the Champions League and always off the pace at the top of the Premier League this season.

But they’ll be back in the reckoning in both competitions next year, according to Everton manager Roberto Martinez.

The Spaniard is a big admirer of United boss Louis van Gaal and believes that the Dutchman’s past record and the way the Reds have improved over the course of this campaign is a sure sign that United will be in for the big trophies in 12 months’ time.

“United are capable of challenging for every competition next season without a doubt,” says Martinez. “They should be challenging for the title.

“You are looking at a new manager who arrived into this league and it takes time to understand the competitive edge.

“But I think Louis van Gaal will be ready to challenge for every single trophy next season.

“He has won everything. He has been able to adapt in Spain and Germany and been successful in his home country.

“He’s going to be successful whatever happens. He will definitely win something.

“This United team is probably stronger than people give them credit for. We haven’t been talking about them enough because they have not been in Europe this season.

“But the squad is starting to show what it is capable of, and I’m not surprised they are challenging for second place in the league.

“United will just get better because the players will understand better what the manager wants.”

United travel to Goodison Park this lunchtime to take on an Everton side enjoying their best league spell of the season with 13 points from the last 15.

Despite that recent improvement, they still languish in the bottom half of the table and Martinez insists their Europa League travails are to blame.

“It’s tough to play Thursdays and Sundays, expecting to win both games,” he argues. “It requires a change of mentality.

“After January, we slowly changed that, and coped with the demands a lot better.

“But it’s not a coincidence that all of a sudden we are out of the Europa League and able to put some consistent results together and focus on the league.”