He's been very fortunante that Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool have gone to shit this season.
United under LvG: verdict so far!
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Wasn't impressed a month ago, two months ago, three....
Not really impressed now.
Not really impressed now.
Louis Van Gaal: myth.
Possibly. Now imagine where we would've been without that lucky 6 game run.
If we'd dropped points against at least two of Everton, Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham (as we probably should have done in a normal world where we didn't have an alien superman in goal), we'd be in seventh - exactly the same as where we were under Moyes.
As it is, we're actually still two points worse off than we were last season in the equivalent fixtures. Our position on the table is just inflated because our rivals for top four have been so, so bad in patches, too. Patches they unfortunately seem to be growing out of.
Have absolutely no idea why LvG is hellbent on playing Rooney-Mata as midfielders. It's not as if we don't have midfielders now and just need makeshift players to fill that position. We actually now have proper midfielders and still LvG is that stubborn to play the players out of their actual positions. Jesus!
Reckon he'll it get right but some of things he does seem so baffling. Also needs to stop being so stubborn!
The justification seems to be that he's better than Moyes, but that should be the bare minimum, not a badge of honour. He keeps having excuses made for him about injuries and taking time to settle in etc. advanced in his favour but the reality is not all of these things are just happening to him: some of them he's going to have to solve.
Pre-season expectations and track record.
After his time at Bayern I didn't rate him at all anymore and his stint with the national team didn't convince of him either but I was prepared to give him the benefit of a doubt hoping he would find his old strength back that made him such a superb manager at Ajax and for a few seasons at Barca but that benefit of a doubt gets smaller and smaller with every horrible performance this season so far he is no improvement over Moyes at all imo.
I think he would've suffered a similar fate to Moyes last season, had he replaced Fergie instead of DM. He's lucky that he took over from last season's failure.
We have to give him two seasons either way as changing managers every year will do us no good at all.
Still I'm as yet convinced of any progress, however with the talent we've brought in surely things have to get better? He'll at some point go with 4 at the back
Still I'm as yet convinced of any progress, however with the talent we've brought in surely things have to get better? He'll at some point go with 4 at the back
Been impressed mostly post City away. But it's gone to shit since Liverpool at home.
Quite possibly.
Given the money he spent, he has done a worse job.
Same amount of points, less goals, less shots on target and dire, boring football.
Same amount of points, less goals, less shots on target and dire, boring football.
No CL football either.
Pretty much.
He really needs to get a grip.
A feck up vs QPR and he'll be officially under pressure imo.
I'm going to go as far as saying that I bet Moyes would have this team playing better, none of this 352 crap.
The only problem is that Moyes wouldn't be able to attract DiMaria and co maybe.
The only problem is that Moyes wouldn't be able to attract DiMaria and co maybe.
It has been a massive disappointment so far... ok there has been some positive results but generally it really is a disappointment...
$100m+ spent
Same points tally as Moyes
awful style of play.
Let's not kid ourself, this is not United standard.
The one and only thing that is hanging on for him now is that he is still fighting for the 4th spot (The minimum requirement).
$100m+ spent
Same points tally as Moyes
awful style of play.
Let's not kid ourself, this is not United standard.
The one and only thing that is hanging on for him now is that he is still fighting for the 4th spot (The minimum requirement).
It is the only requirement, and if he misses out he should be given another season. There is no guarantee that any other manager would do better.
Isn't his target for this season 3rd place anyway? Wasn't that the target set at the start of the season?
I think LVG got a little cocky before xmas, started talking about the title, hopefully he regains his focus back again now.
I think LVG got a little cocky before xmas, started talking about the title, hopefully he regains his focus back again now.
I genuinely thought we were making progress, but since we went back to 3 at the back (whether that's the cause or not) we've been dire.
I think the utter uncertainty at the back has two really negative effects:
It makes all our other players unwilling to play any high risk ball, because losing it has such a high price.
It allows our opponents to play what would otherwise appear as an ultra-defensive set-up - but actually still have plenty of chances. They know that they only need to break with 4 players and that'll still allow them to cause us problems. Look at Southampton with 2 defensive midfielders hardly moving from right in front of the defence completely stifling us - yet all they needed to do was release one of their wingbacks along with their 4 forward players and it was bedlam.
I think some surety at the back would transform our midfield and attack too.
I think the utter uncertainty at the back has two really negative effects:
It makes all our other players unwilling to play any high risk ball, because losing it has such a high price.
It allows our opponents to play what would otherwise appear as an ultra-defensive set-up - but actually still have plenty of chances. They know that they only need to break with 4 players and that'll still allow them to cause us problems. Look at Southampton with 2 defensive midfielders hardly moving from right in front of the defence completely stifling us - yet all they needed to do was release one of their wingbacks along with their 4 forward players and it was bedlam.
I think some surety at the back would transform our midfield and attack too.
No he shouldn't, and he won't either because Woodward seems ruthless. Woodward also sacked a guy chosen by Ferguson who let's be honest was doing better than LVG considering we was also in 3 competitions at this time last season.
Woody's target at least - allegedly.
If we end up 4th I reckon he's safe, though, given how the season has played out so far - injuries and whatnot.
And...breathe...
Very true.
We are still dire to watch.
The new signings have been largely uninvolved dup to injuries.
We need another summer spree and to shift more deadwood.
Honestly, almost the entire squads that Moy es and LVG inherited were deadwood.
They have all been fortunate we have had an injury crisis most of the season
Hear this a lot, but think it is very wide of the mark.
Moyes, did not lose Rio, Vidic, Evra, and Giggs. He took over a squad that were the champions, admittedly ageing, and systematically destroyed the not only the back room staff, but the team's confidence. Changing for the sake of change and largely playing very conservative football where the players could not string more than 2 passes together. We were outplayed or dominated in nearly every game, even when we won.
LVG took on a much weaker squad, and has let go of quite a few squad players, Welbeck, Chico, Cleverley and so on. So his starting position is significantly different. He has replaced 5 players- all first team players in their own right. For various reasons they have not played as much as one would have hoped. LVG's changes have mostly been due to injuries. The drop in performances has come from the lack of LVG's new blood and therefore our lack of creativity from our existing squad.
When people talk about dire football, I take it they think it is was OK for Fergie's last 2 or 3 years, where for the majority of the time it was very hard to get excited about our play.
Exactly my thoughts. With his stubborn ego, it may be same in the future. We are going to be fighting for our lives the rest of the season just to stay in the top 4, despite having the most expensive squad ever. LvG needs to get over the fact that he managed to get some success playing that shite formation in a knockout tournament.
Did Fergie spend 150m on fresh blood in those final years? or did he improve players? I'm a huge LVG fan but this isnt the LVG who brings in and makes good young players into great players as yet. Adnan you would think the obvious candidate for him to bring on. Instead its Ashley Young getting plaudits for above average performances. Its alot of money spent and then left on the bench like Herrera while Cesc shows us what we are missing. Only for we know whats he's done previously he'd be spoken of in real terms and not hopeful ones.
It was indeed. But surely this isn't a valid excuse for the way we play NOW? People said it last year too - wasn't a valid excuse then either.
The one, possible upside to Fergie retiring was the chance to get some new ideas in, shake things up, and - yes - perhaps introduce a more exciting brand of football than the one we largely served up in the great man's last seasons. We haven't exactly been treated to any fireworks in that regard, though - and it's understandable that people moan a bit about this. We used to be pretty exciting to watch, unless I'm very much mistaken.
The one thing that I want most from United is to go 4231 / 433.
Add some pace to the team and get playing some football. Di Maria got in the TOTY playing that style. Playing our style has made him look above average at best.
Unfortunately, this is LVGs way of playing, so I cannot see it changing
Add some pace to the team and get playing some football. Di Maria got in the TOTY playing that style. Playing our style has made him look above average at best.
Unfortunately, this is LVGs way of playing, so I cannot see it changing
The general consensus at the start of the season was that getting back into the top four was the aim. I would say we are still on course to do that.
There have been some disappointing results, for sure, but then if we'd never had those disappointing results, we'd be title challengers - and hardly anyone was expecting let alone demanding a title challenge. So at the moment, they should be taken as par for the course.
I'm prepared to accept the odd shonky result and performance as part of the rebuilding process, and LvG has shown more than enough, both this season and in his career, to warrant a bit of trust.
There have been some disappointing results, for sure, but then if we'd never had those disappointing results, we'd be title challengers - and hardly anyone was expecting let alone demanding a title challenge. So at the moment, they should be taken as par for the course.
I'm prepared to accept the odd shonky result and performance as part of the rebuilding process, and LvG has shown more than enough, both this season and in his career, to warrant a bit of trust.
One thing which has been pretty constant with him (apart from his second Barca stint) is that he has always managed to get things on track after shaky starts. We're still looking shaky - but that could conceivably change at any point: If our current problems are mainly down to a) injuries and b) players not having grasped fully what they're supposed to do or c) a combination of both - then it's far from unreasonable to think we might actually click sooner rather than later.
It's obvious that he isn't pleased with how we play most of the time - he's waiting for something to click. I personally don't think LVG's infamous philosophy will ever fully please all our fans - and I think some are in for a rough ride in that sense. Certain aspects of what people are moaning about at the moment are part and parcel of his approach - rather than being by-products of us playing shite. But I have no doubt whatsoever that a fully functioning LVG machinery will be MUCH more satisfying to watch than we are at the moment.
Your right Fergie didn't pay out 150M, but he did bring in quite a few players at a time. Do not forget, 150M was needed due to the lack of investment by Fergie in areas we needed. As for the 150M sitting on the bench, most have been on the bench due to recovering for awful injuries. If Herrera had broken ribs, pretty unrealistic trying to get him on the park too early as was proven. Time to give LVG grief, is when his choices are on the park and they prove not to be an improvement on what we had. LVG has given quite a few youth players a chance in the league and in pre-season. Lots on here crying out for Adnan, but he has wasted every chance he has been given so far.
Agree.
At the moment my frustrations are more about the creativity and slow pace.
Last season, it was half hearted performances,very stupid mistakes, inability to pass the ball, getting outplayed by teams like Fulham, Sunderland and so on and a manager being very negative.
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