Man United players trying best for van Gaal: Carrick

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick said it is "disrespectful" to claim the English football club's players are not trying their best for manager Louis van Gaal.

United's Boxing Day defeat (0-2) to Stoke City was their fourth loss in a row and extended their winless run to seven games. Van Gaal, who said he could quit, was at United's training ground on Sunday.

"It is a bit disrespectful when people say the lads aren't trying for the manager. That hurts us. It's not the type of people we are. We haven't won games and it is fair enough if people criticise things that have gone wrong on the pitch. It is a horrible run and it is a horrible feeling. It hurts badly," Carrick was quoted as saying by BBC on Sunday.

United have lost four successive competitive matches for the first time since November 1961, and their winless streak -- which has seen them knocked out of the Champions League and slip out of the top four in the Premier League -- is their worst run since the 1989-90 season.

"The run we've been on is just not good enough. We can't hide from it, we're not going to hide from it. That is how it is and we all need to be better," the vice-captain said.

Van Gaal's side face Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday with midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger available again after returning from a three-match suspension.