West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce says he has total respect for Louis van Gaal after his long ball taunts at Manchester United. Allardyce wrote in the London Evening Standard: "The first thing I want to say is I have every respect for Louis van Gaal. However, speaking from the experience of years of criticism that teams managed by me always play the long-ball game, I felt it was right after our match against Manchester United to make the comments I did.

"It was, to a certain extent, tongue in cheek but I believe I was also making a factual point.

"The fact was I saw United play, for a time against us last weekend, in a way I have never seen them before.

"What I didn't say afterwards was that we played fewer long balls than them - my comment was that United played long-ball football more than I have ever witnessed from them in the past.

"As it happens, the statistics seem to bear that out over the season and as far as our game was concerned, it worked with that late equaliser even though it didn't come directly from a long ball.

"Had I not mentioned the facts after the match, would anyone else have pointed it out? Dare I make those comments because it's Manchester United? Yes, I dare because it was a fact. Louis's response created a bit of a furore and he obviously felt he had to protect himself by responding to my comments. It was clear he didn't want to be saddled with the same sort of tag that has been my lot over the years."