[adamwest]

Can someone explain Van Gaals philosophy to me?, and i don't mean that sarcastically, i genuinely don't have a clue.
I know he likes possession football which we certainly have done this season but everything after that, i'm lost.

To win football matches. It's what he's paid to do.

 

[Twisted_Woody]

Not at this time. GIFLord should be sacked.

Seriously. I'm used to seeing gifs minutes after the goal.

 

[waza7111]

van Gaal post mach interview

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Yes but consider how bad we were last season of 7th, it's not going to be a quick fix. Judge how good United are for quality of the football next season, and the year after.

The summer coming up, we will Have no World Cup, van gaal Will know the PL more, he will have a free summer to sign players, he is not tied with World Cup dutie, and with champions league football, we will have a better chance of signing better players

Don't think it's anything to do with that, though. I mean, we played good football and looked a lot more balanced against City, Chelsea, Hull and Stoke, playing four at the back. Today, and against Arsenal, we go to three at the back, and surprise, surprise, we look lost.

 

[ItsEssexRob]

You clearly didn't watch us against Southampton at OT 2 seasons ago. Under Fergie, we played like this many times, it just was never consecutively.

Thats what I mean though, its been 4 out of the 5 games.

 

[Theonas]

At the start of the season I loved our play, although we looked like we'd have to win every game 5-4. Now we're a bit dull to watch, but it's bafflingly effective. We need to find the right balance pretty soon, otherwise we'll run out of luck!

It's not that baffling really. We are defending well, we are still under the impression from the beginning of the season when we looked extremely shaky. Lately, if you look at the replays of our games when we know the results, you will notice how solid we look at the back now. Stoke threatened once or twice the whole game and with the exception of shaky starts against Arsenal and today, we're really not giving many chances away. On the other hand, we look almost Moyesesque going forward. We still need to find that balance which is taking time as any reasonable fan should have expected.

 

[Theonas]

Thats what I mean though, its been 4 out of the 5 games.

I'd have to disagree there. Against Stoke, we were extremely comfortable until injury time, same as against Crystal Palace whereas the Arsenal game can't count really as it was comedic the amount of injuries we had that game. If by lack of control, you mean looking toothless going forward, that is another point then.

 

[Roboc7]

To win football matches. It's what he's paid to do.

Agree, the philosophy has gone out the window and we are seeing him pick teams to get results, this is an unbalanced and patched up team which is constantly affected by injuries which show non sign of subsiding. He is getting the results though and that's what matters.

 

[walkinhop]

Horrible, horrible fans. How can people be so delusional. 150 million? Look at our injuries. Paddy McNair, Blackett, Young, Valencia...guys, we haven't had a moment of stability in the starting line-up. So many people saying we played bad. Yes, we did. Do not,however, forget for a second what we have to deal with. Evans back from injury, Rooney too. Smalling injured in 1st half. Almost half a 100mil in Di Maria also injured. Wake up guys and realize we are dealing with spare parts here. To be able to win 5 in a row with an inconsistent team is unbelievable. We underestimate the importance of partnerships. We have not had any of those this season.

What I can tell you is we are on the right track. Could only get better when most are fit and get a run of games. The only player we bought this summer to play today was Rojo, who was not supposed to be a first team player in the first place. Be realistic please.

 

[Rezyuz]

I think its a miracle that we are even in the top 10 with our injuries. Its fantastic what he manages with so little.

Don't expect United to play like gods, when the gods aren't awake and available.

Our team the past few weeks (even without Rooney, although he wouldn't have been missed today at all): This team shouldn't even been capable to reach past the 6th place

DDG

McNair - Smalling - Rojo

Valencia - Fellaini - Carrick - Young

Mata

RvP - Rooney​

United without injuries: This is a world class team that is realistic to the position we have now.

DDG

Rafael - Jones - Rojo - Shaw

Blind

M8/DM7 - Rooney

M8/DM7 - Falcao/RvP - Januzaj
​

Moral of this post? We are in a fecking amazing position and i thank god for this every day.

 

[Raoul]

I think its a miracle that we are even in the top 10 with our injuries. Its fantastic what he manages with so little.

Don't expect United to play like gods, when the gods aren't awake and available.

Good point. Our injuries have been worse than any other club this year and yet we're in 3rd.

 

[bosnian_red]

The only chance we made from open play was RVP blasting it 6 feet wide from 20 yards, so no sotn weren't just as bad

Going forwards in the second half they were probably just as bad. We hardly created anything, but the way the game was going, the result was always more in our favor so you'd expect them to go forward as they are a good team and at home. They played a lot of the game in our half but really a lot of it was just hoofing or making something from us passing it right to them (Young, Evans and Fellaini come to mind).

 

[Acole9]

It was like watching the Arsenal game again. They were easily the better side but we somehow managed to grind out the win. Then again playing the best football as we have seen in the past doesn't always win you matches.

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

United only won because of RVP's individual brilliance. City are a great side... oh wait, what happens when Aguero is injured?

In fairness City won the league last season with Aguero suffering a fair few injuries. They have got the likes of Silva, Toure and Dzeko to fall back who were very good last season. Not saying City have not been very reliant on Aguero this season but they have got players who can step up if he is out for a prolonged period like last season showed.

 

[Oneunited26]

Don't think it's anything to do with that, though. I mean, we played good football and looked a lot more balanced against City, Chelsea, Hull and Stoke, playing four at the back. Today, and against Arsenal, we go to three at the back, and surprise, surprise, we look lost.

Oh it is, not to mention it's something do with having so many injurys, and of course losing our star signing. Let's see if any other manager can cope with this pile up of injurys

 

[Raoul]

van Gaal post mach interview

Brutally honest.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Oh it is, not to mention it's something do with having so many injurys, and of course losing our star signing. Let's see if any other manager can cope with this pile up of injurys

You're completely swaying from my point, though, and trying to make out that I'm having a go at Van Gaal, which I'm not. My point was that since the season's started, we haven't once looked convincing with a 352 formation. Yes, I understand we've had injuries, but we look a lot more balanced with four at the back, regardless of who's played, which is why I was surprised to see us play with a 352 again today.

 

[stevoc]

Played shit, won the game.

Good a 5 point gap over 5th place and won at a very difficult place to go to.

Young played well.

Southampton dropped down to 5th so we're only 2 points ahead.

 

[LARulz]

van Gaal post mach interview

Honest. Would have liked to have seen him say the system didn't work but guess that was hinted at

 

[ZDwyr]

van Gaal post mach interview

Thanks for posting that. Honest assessment. Like what he said re: McNair.

 

[goin4glory]

5 at the back just doesn't work and LVG won't learn until we're on the end of a hammering. Arsenal should have been 3-0 up at half time and so should Southampton. Rooney/Mata/RVP may have individual quality but stylistically they're cryptonite for one another, no pace no width and no penetration. It couldn't be easier to press high vs us when we've got CB's who have no idea what they're supposed to be doing and a forward line that poses no threat in behind without Di Maria. Appalling performance and can't continue.

 

[Kostur]

van Gaal post mach interview

Fair fecks to him for that, we must've looked really, really good in the training then. We've looked decent with 352 monster in the USA but hey, the pressure was none there so yea.

 

[Ringo 07]

Fellaini had a shocker of a first half. He improved slightly in second half but southamptons quick passing midfield made him look like he's not up to it again.
Evans had an absolute shocker but that was to be expected.
Again Herrera and Mata not getting involved enough when we come up against top 6 opposition despite both having some lovely touches in the second half
McNair just is not ready to play teams of this level consistently...of course he can put in a brave shift against a top 6 team once in a while but he was miles off the pace in this game.

 

[El Zoido]

Young has done well but we really miss Shaw and Rafa. Valencia I just cannot deal with anymore, he's doing a shift defensively but you can literally see attacks grind to a halt when he gets the ball. Has Van Gaal asked him to be so negative? I doubt it since he's been like this for years. I see moments where I can picture Rafael getting the ball to feet and bombing in to space and pushing us forward. Tony just stands there, looks confused, then plays a safe pass backwards. It really affects our attacking potential.

 

[AR87]

Wow, it's not often that I agree with everything in a post as long as this.

Thank you

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Didnt watch it, did we play 3-5-2 the whole game or cause as I see Herrera was subbed on instead of McNair.
As I read we werent good but 3 points is all it matters and we're third, cant believe it!

Dont understand why LVG goes back to 3-5-2 at away games, sure it worked 2 times in a row but will in the 3rd time. We look so much more comfortable with 4 in the back.

 

[Oneunited26]

You're completely swaying from my point, though, and trying to make out that I'm having a go at Van Gaal, which I'm not. My point was that since the season's started, we haven't once looked convincing with a 352 formation. Yes, I understand we've had injuries, but we look a lot more balanced with four at the back, regardless of who's played, which is why I was surprised to see us play with a 352 again today.

The reason why we are playing 3 at the back, is we have no Rafeal and shaw, playing 3 protects our unnatural wingbacks, and it's no coincidence we have looked allot tighter since we have protected Our wingbacks.

The system is not the problem, United's problem is? Injurys and we have no speed or acceleration from all of mata fellaini Herrera rooney and RVP. So the problem solver is adding more speed in our attack, and in the future VG has got to bring in a more dynamic CF To replace RVP, A better midfielder to replace Fellaini, and a quicker player to replace a mata, so it balances out a rooney di Maria with some dynamic Midfielders, and quicker players

So I would say, replacing one or 2 of our injury prone defenders, and adding more speed to our very one paced attack could help

 

[saivet]

Didnt watch it, did we play 3-5-2 the whole game or cause as I see Herrera was subbed on instead of McNair.
As I read we werent good but 3 points is all it matters and we're third, cant believe it!

Dont understand why LVG goes back to 3-5-2 at away games, sure it worked 2 times in a row but will in the 3rd time. We look so much more comfortable with 4 in the back.

Yep. We just changed to:

Evans, Carrick, Rojo
Fellaini
Valencia, Herrera, Mata, Young
Rooney, RVP

​

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Yep. We just changed to:

Evans, Carrick, Rojo
Fellaini
Valencia, Herrera, Mata, Young
Rooney, RVP

​

Strange we just should have started with 4-4-2 but as I said we won so can't complain really.

 

[Sarni]

Thats what I mean though, its been 4 out of the 5 games.

We were very gold against Hull and should have got more than 1-0 and 2-1 against Palace and Stoke, we were comfortable in both games. We played Arsenal with nearly all our first choice players injured and still won. It's a huge improvement and 28 points is a good tally.

 

[pierrethesnack]

Strange we just should have started with 4-4-2 but as I said we won so can't complain really.

As supporters it is our divine right to second guess whatever the feck we want, so knock yourself out.

 

[AR87]

Young has done well but we really miss Shaw and Rafa. Valencia I just cannot deal with anymore, he's doing a shift defensively but you can literally see attacks grind to a halt when he gets the ball. Has Van Gaal asked him to be so negative? I doubt it since he's been like this for years. I see moments where I can picture Rafael getting the ball to feet and bombing in to space and pushing us forward. Tony just stands there, looks confused, then plays a safe pass backwards. It really affects our attacking potential.

Couldn't agree more about Valencia. He just doesn't seem to understand his role in 3-5-2. He's looked much better going forward when he's played at RB in a back 4, but even then he doesn't provide nearly as much going forward as Rafael. Valencia is good enough to be in the squad, but we definitely need to bring in another RB.

I might get flack for this, but Young looks very assured in his new role either as wing back in 3-5-2 or as an LB in a back 4. Shaw's injuries have been unlucky more than I feel a result of him being injury prone and with Rojo in the squad as well I think we're okay over there. I'd be interested to see how Young would do playing at RB/RWB.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

As supporters it is our divine right to second guess whatever the feck we want, so knock yourself out.

Haha true. Well I hope we'll be better for scousers.

 

[J-Stander]

Awful performance but great result. We'll play better when we have a fit team but feck knows when that'll be. Hopefully Di Maria is back for the scousers as we dearly missed his pace tonight.

 

[Winrar]

Is it just me or we often play god-awful against them and puzzlingly come away with a win?

Has happened 2 seasons ago as well in both fixtures. The dramatic 3-2 at their place and the one where Rooney scored twice in the first half and after that totally outclassed.

 

[bosnian_red]

Thats what I mean though, its been 4 out of the 5 games.

4 out of 5 games? We beat Palace without them getting outside their own half but should've definitely scored another few goals, Stoke didn't go into our box or do anything at all until the 90th minute, before which we dominated and should have scored another 2-3 goals, beat Hull comfortably and then obviously grinded out wins away to Arsenal and Southampton. Against Arsenal though even, apart from the first 30 minutes, we created the better chances where as all they did was have shots from range without really creating many great chances (second half).

 

[noodlehair]

Van Persie was class. best he's played in years.

Everyone else was wank except De Gea and maybe Young.

Van Gaal making stupid decisions about how to set his team up and then blaming it on the players because of his all conquering "philosophy" yet again. He's a grown intelligent man who clearly knows enough to be able to see what's happening during a game, and it's massively childish.

 

[noodlehair]

Thats what I mean though, its been 4 out of the 5 games.

It's because they defend like school kids and it's rare you're going to play against the likes of Rooney and RVP and not be punished for that, even if you control the game.

It's not just us. They get stung in the same way quite often.

It's similar to Arsenal in a way. We just stay in the game and are invariably gifted soft goals.

 

[datura]

Liked this from the telegraph:

'As Van Gaal is proving, when life gives you lemons, you throw them out, promote the cherries from the youth team to mature, and buy a massive steak in the meantime.'

 

[stepic]

Playing 4 at the back with Valencia and Young as fullbacks is fine when we're at home and we know we're going to dominate possession. Not when you're playing away against a team like Southampton who you know will have their fair share of possession and also press all game. Valencia and Young are makeshift fullbacks, LVG knows that and we all know that. So the 3 at the back makes a lot more sense. It's just up to the players to learn the damn system and not freak out come game day. Until we at least get our proper defence playing.