Louis van Gaal admitted that Champions League qualification will be

“very difficult” after a shock 2-1 defeat at second-bottom Sunderland

increased the pressure on the Manchester United manager.

A late own goal from goalkeeper David de Gea at the Stadium of Light

on Saturday condemned United to a first loss in the league on

Wearside for 19 years.

It leaves the 20-time English champions six points adrift of the top

four with 12 games remaining after a display described by captain Wayne

Rooney as “not good enough”.

Anthony Martial’s 10th goal of the season pulled United level before

half-time, cancelling out Wahbi Khazri’s opener, but Sunderland were

worthy winners.

Their success will intensify the uncertainty over Van Gaal’s future,

with speculation mounting that former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is

set to replace the beleaguered Dutchman at the season’s end.

Van Gaal conceded that a top-four finish is the “minimum requirement” for a club of United’s stature and vast resources.

But with that now looking increasingly unlikely, he said: “We needed

so much the points, so in the circumstances we’re in, this is very

disappointing. I can’t say it any other way.

“If Wayne has said it will be difficult for us to finish in the top

four, then I agree with him. It’s going to be very difficult now with

the gap. It’s still possible, but it’s very difficult.

“We needed to win this game. We want to be in the top four and now it

will be very difficult. That’s our aim, the minimum requirement for a

club like this. You can’t close your eyes to this.”

United can also qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.

They travel to Danish side FC Midtjylland in the last 32 of the

competition on Thursday and Van Gaal added: “You can say OK, that’s the

other way to qualify. But there are some very good sides left in that

competition.”

Van Gaal, who revealed that defender Matteo Darmian had suffered a

dislocated left shoulder after being forced off before the interval,

admitted that his players had failed to cope with Sunderland’s physical

approach.

United have taken just six

points from the last 21 available in away league games and won three of

their last 13 top-flight matches.

“We couldn’t deal with the aggressive pressure from Sunderland,” Van

Gaal said. “We knew the danger they posed from set-plays, but we were

very bad for the first 25 minutes.

“It’s not a question of being let down by the players. They want to

deliver. Because they didn’t deliver today (Saturday), you’re

disappointed and frustrated, but we’re working together. We’re pulling

at the same strings.

“Unfortunately, Darmian is a dislocation and he’s out for several weeks. We don’t have any more full-backs.”

The seeds of Sunderland’s first victory in five games were sown in the January transfer market.

Khazri, a £9 million ($12.8 million, 11.8 million euros) buy from

Bordeaux, deceived De Gea to open the scoring with a third-minute

free-kick from an improbable position near the left-hand touchline.

The winner arrived when the United goalkeeper failed to deal with a

header from Lamine Kone, a £5 million signing from Lorient, with

Martial’s attempted goal-line clearance hitting the Spaniard and going

in.

“Our new boys have provided the winning goals today and that’s terrific,” said manager Sam Allardyce.

“It’s a terrific ask of these players to get this level of

performance after coming in during January. They’re on their knees in

the dressing room because the pace is so much quicker than they’re

used to playing in France.

“It was a really good performance with the right result. We’ve got a

couple of weeks break now to get some of the injured players back.

“It’s pleasing that the squad showed me it’s good enough and united

enough for the big push to try to get out of the trouble we’re in.”