Chris Smalling: ‘It’s now up to us to rectify it in front of our own fans’

Manchester United's failure to score an away goal against bitter rivals Liverpool has left them with a handful to do in the second leg next week, defender Chris Smalling said after Thursday's 2-0 last-16 Europa League defeat at Anfield.

Winning Europe's second-tier club tournament appears to be United's best chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season but goals from Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino either side of halftime has severely dented their hopes.

“We’re disappointed. I think we could have done with getting an away goal - we know we’ve got a difficult job on our hands,” Smalling told the club’s website.

“We could have really done with getting that away goal. I think if you get that goal, you can be a bit more positive, but it’s now up to us to rectify it in front of our own fans. The first goal is going to be crucial.”

Louis van Gaal's men are sixth in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

United’s most likely hope of any silverware this season will be the FA Cup and they host West Ham United in the quarter-finals on Sunday.

United’s performance was criticised after the game by former players Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes as being “disjointed” and “shambolic”.

However, a tetchy Van Gaal rejected their opinions.

“Is it important what Rio Ferdinand is saying, is that important to you? You don’t give your opinion and then you give Rio Ferdinand’s opinion — that is very strong of you,” he added.

“Of course Liverpool were the better team in the first half but in second half we did a better match than before that.

“I don’t think we were very creative in the third and fourth phase but it is also the defence of Liverpool and you can give credit for that to Liverpool.

“We have to improve a lot to create more goals.”

Van Gaal also had issues with both goals they conceded.

He said: “We get a cheap penalty and that was 1-0. Henderson was in an offside position (for the second goal) and when you are so sharp you can see the foul has been made by Memphis in the area (for the penalty) you have to see also when it is offside.”

He also insisted he was not aware of an apparent Marouane Fellaini elbow on Emre Can in the closing moments.

“I haven’t seen it but I think also I have to say Fellaini was one of the best players on the pitch and I am very sorry when he makes a mistake like that,” he said.