Welbeck not United standard

Louis van Gaal launched a scathing attack on critics who suggested Manchester United had abandoned their youth philosophy.

Sky Sports report that Danny Welbeck was not up to the level that Manchester United expects.

Louis van Gaal was responding to criticism that Manchester United had let a youth product go in favour of expense foreign imports.

"Danny Welbeck had been here since he was nine, but after he came back from Sunderland, he does not have the record of Rooney or Van Persie, and that is the standard," said the United boss.

"And we have Falcao."

"Today, in training, he had one chance and it is a goal. That's why we had to let him (Welbeck) go.” said van Gaal.

Van Gaal still believes that the Manchester United youth academy will have a major role going forward even after Tom Lawrence, Tom Cleverley and Michael Keane all left in the summer clearout at Old Trafford.

The youth is the policy of Manchester United," he said. "When we let go players to other clubs, it is to allow the youth players to have a chance.

"We want to give youth players a chance and the question now is 'can they take this chance?'

“It's of course more risky but Manchester United has always home-grown players in the squad and it's the only way to do it."

Manchester United host QPR on Sunday, September 14 at 17:00.