There isn't one part of our team that is performing adequately at the moment. Its been massively underwhelming by Van Gaal so far. I hate the idea if sacking managers before they have time to make things work for them, but the sheer boredom I feel from watching this terrible football is making me want him out.
United under LvG: verdict so far!
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Nothing else was working, it worked out in the end so for me he can't be criticised for that. The substitution resulted in the equaliser.
I actually feel more annoyed by him at this point than I did by Moyes last season around the same time, and I never thought it was possible. His decision making is aimed purely at satisfying big names and proving himself rather than making the team work. His stubborness is highly annoying and I sense that he'll stick by his insane decisions forever because he's frankly shown little desire to change anything. He has even managed to cancel out the change from 352 to 442 by unbalacing the team completely. It's beyond comprehension how we can put 2 midfielders on the bench and play a forward and winger in midfield.
Guys, how can Rooney be on one vs one all the game against Kouyaté ? He didn’t won any challenge against him and was guilty (like Jones) for their goal
How LVG, reckoned as tactical genius can let this happen…
I becoming more and more frustrated by LVG, and questioning if our 4th place is not only due to our oppenents failure, or maybe only a matter of time when I see how Ars, Pool and Spurs are more coherent, balanced than us.
I remember that last year, we were excellent as a defensive unit away from home and sometimes we looked great away. But this year we are too…. Nothing in fact, we have no style. No penetration, not a single technical leader…
I’m looking back since the Stoke’s game and I begin to be very afraid for the 4th
How LVG, reckoned as tactical genius can let this happen…
I becoming more and more frustrated by LVG, and questioning if our 4th place is not only due to our oppenents failure, or maybe only a matter of time when I see how Ars, Pool and Spurs are more coherent, balanced than us.
I remember that last year, we were excellent as a defensive unit away from home and sometimes we looked great away. But this year we are too…. Nothing in fact, we have no style. No penetration, not a single technical leader…
I’m looking back since the Stoke’s game and I begin to be very afraid for the 4th
This - the first bit of what you said anyway - is precisely what he has a reputation for NOT doing. Its really hard to understand, a guy who has refused to pander to egos or reputations wherever he has been, is now picking people based on reputation.
Can't say I disagree with any off that.
I wouldn't mind so much if he would actually give an explanation as to why he keeps using bizarre tactics. Did he actually say why he won't play Rooney up front, for example? Or was it just "I don't like him there"?
I think main problem is that our big name that shouldn't play is van Persie who's like a son to him by the looks of it and Falcao who's somehow become undroppable lately, also Rooney that's captain on €300k a week or something and he feels forced to play him too. He's trying to play three forwards at once and none of them apart from Rooney have versatility to make it work. It doesn't help that he refuses to use midfielders either, thank God Blind is Dutch and his favourite - if he weren't we'd probably be in even more of a trouble with someone silly playing at DM.
This squad has so much more potential than it's showing but it will never fulfil it because he'll never admit his mistakes. I've lost hope on that matter, I just hope we'll limit the damage over the next 2 years and then replace him with Guardiola who won't feck around.
Yes agreed. Moyes fecked up hard in the transfer windows and communicated poorly with the players, but given the players he had at his disposal most of us wouldn't have picked a radically different line up. LvG has numerous alternatives to what he's doing at the moment.
I think that's a pretty fair summation and do agree that top 4 is the biggest priority, with all other expectations reserved for next season. I think the biggest issue is that Van Gaal came with a reputation for being a believer that the team is more important than the individual; whereas what we have seen is the complete opposite. You could almost perfectly correlate the 4 highest earners with the 4 attacking spots, which when none of these player's are playing even slightly well and don't fit together in a team is a problem.
Our best attacking player this season in Mata has often been the fall guy to accommodate these names. If I were manager I'd go into the Burnley game having dropped Falcao, RVP, Di Maria and Rooney to truly show that inept performances don't go ignored (and I don't buy the fact that Rooney can't consistently pass a ball 10 yards merely because he's 40 yards deeper than he prefers). However we know for a fact that if not all 4, then certainly 3 of these will start. I think a team such as the following would send out a good message and still get us the win:
________DDG
Rafael Jones Smalling Rojo
__Valencia Blind Fellaini
______Mata__Herrera
________Wilson
I'd say that entire team has met or exceeded expectations this season when given an opportunity.
Exactly. He had no clue how to motivate players and his tactical choices were poor but at least he didn't play players in incorrect positions or isolated players for no apparent reason whatsoever. Our players don't seem particularly motivated right now, tactical choices are even worse and no one knows their place in the team anymore.
I've always said - with both Moyes and Van Gaal - that all I want to see if progress.
A manager who has a vision about how he wants his team to play and evidence that the team is improving over time. Regarding the former, he's definitely changed our style of football. Most people aren't enjoying it, though, and he's not making any friends with his team selection either.
I'm sure he would argue that it's not yet his squad and he's doing whatever it takes to get results. Which brings us on to the second part of my initial premise. Have we improved over the course of his reign?
League table says "yes".
A manager who has a vision about how he wants his team to play and evidence that the team is improving over time. Regarding the former, he's definitely changed our style of football. Most people aren't enjoying it, though, and he's not making any friends with his team selection either.
I'm sure he would argue that it's not yet his squad and he's doing whatever it takes to get results. Which brings us on to the second part of my initial premise. Have we improved over the course of his reign?
League table says "yes".
Are there any similarities between this season and the one at Barcelona when he got fired?
Well we aren't lingering anywhere near relegation zone so no. I guess his final season at Bayern might have been similar.
What bothers me is that lately that was his only plan B he came up with. From a manager who always said to play great attacking football, I expected a bit more.
Good point and this is another problem. He doesnt like the press and feels too big to explain why he does things the way he does it. However, he forgets that the fans would like to know the reasoning behind it as well
Not disagreeing with that, it's clearly a panic tactic and something you would expect West Ham to do but it worked. I also agree that we should never let ourselves get into a position where we have to resort to hoof ball, especially given the talent we had on the bench.
I'm starting to see why the Bayern fans hated him now.
Is that because DDG is performing outstandingly?
To play devil's advocate, what will the table with the tough run of fixtures March and April look like? That was always when Fergie did the most damage.I've always said - with both Moyes and Van Gaal - that all I want to see if progress.
A manager who has a vision about how he wants his team to play and evidence that the team is improving over time. Regarding the former, he's definitely changed our style of football. Most people aren't enjoying it, though, and he's not making any friends with his team selection either.
I'm sure he would argue that it's not yet his squad and he's doing whatever it takes to get results. Which brings us on to the second part of my initial premise. Have we improved over the course of his reign?
League table says "yes".
@finneh why does Wilson deserve a place ahead of Rooney?
At the moment it would read "must do better". In two weeks if you're in the FA Cup Quarter finals, and have moved to third this'll be different.
Feck knows tbh. I keep expecting us to suddenly hit our straps but it's never quite happened. We'll need to over the next month or it will all get very ugly.
On a side note, wasn't it exposed as a bit of a myth about us always finishing strongly under Fergie? I think I remember someone looking at stats and we actually tended to drop a fair few league points during the knockout stages of the CL (obviously not an excuse we have this season and hopefully an issue for Arsenal et al)
Was it? I dunno. That was certainly my perception, or at least relative to the teams around us. Perhaps that's wrong, though.
There are some signs that the defensive side of our game is improving.
We are certainly not playing well, though, and we don't often look like winning away from home. Not sure we will make top 4 at this rate.
We are certainly not playing well, though, and we don't often look like winning away from home. Not sure we will make top 4 at this rate.
Because Rooney has been mediocre for the last couple of months? I don't subscribe to the point of view that you suddenly lose the inability to pass the ball short distances because you are 40 yards deeper on the pitch.
In fact when Rooney is playing at his best, up front or as a play-maker, he often drifts into central midfield and drives us forward from that position. He isn't doing that at the moment because he's out of form, not because he's out of position. It isn't just Rooney. I was equally as critical of Kagawa not being able to do simple things because he was 20 yards "out of position".
Also Wilson looked bright against Cambridge so with all other strikers being horribly out of form he deserves a chance.
The current first XI seems to be bear no relation to who has actually played well for us this season.
Herrera and Mata should be in the team. Rooney should be up front.
I'd also have Smalling over Jones though I don't think that will make a huge difference.
Herrera and Mata should be in the team. Rooney should be up front.
I'd also have Smalling over Jones though I don't think that will make a huge difference.
The plus side is he now seems to see Fellaini as simply a player to hoof it up to and a Plan B tactic and not a regular CM.
Herrera is that but for other reasons god knows why he's rotting on the bench.
Why do people keep saying he's got us playing "top four level football"?
We're in 4th by 1 point, and the three teams below us are all playing significantly better
We're in 4th by 1 point, and the three teams below us are all playing significantly better
The most damming thing with Van Gaal is when you start actually listening to what he says…as in listening to what he says rather than just lapping up his attempts to be a smart arse.
He’s constantly contradicting himself and it becomes apparent very quickly that he doesn’t actually have a clue what he’s on about.
Yesterday for example, he claims we “didn’t play the ball on the floor enough” in the first half, then claims we “Only started playing football” after West Ham scored…but then his reaction to that was to bring on Fellaini and order his team to punt the ball long?
So he wasn’t happy that the team were doing the thing that he ordered them to start doing as soon as he saw them stop doing it??? What the feck?
You can’t expect the players to have a clue what they’re supposed to be doing when the manager doesn’t have a clue what it is he’s telling them to do…which is probably why we only ever look like we have a purpose when the players naturally react after conceding a goal, because that’s the only time they aren’t following baffling, self contradicting instructions.
He’s constantly contradicting himself and it becomes apparent very quickly that he doesn’t actually have a clue what he’s on about.
Yesterday for example, he claims we “didn’t play the ball on the floor enough” in the first half, then claims we “Only started playing football” after West Ham scored…but then his reaction to that was to bring on Fellaini and order his team to punt the ball long?
So he wasn’t happy that the team were doing the thing that he ordered them to start doing as soon as he saw them stop doing it??? What the feck?
You can’t expect the players to have a clue what they’re supposed to be doing when the manager doesn’t have a clue what it is he’s telling them to do…which is probably why we only ever look like we have a purpose when the players naturally react after conceding a goal, because that’s the only time they aren’t following baffling, self contradicting instructions.
Actually what he said is
ie if the creative players aren't strong enough to stay involved in a game that where tackles are flying, then he has no choice but to go with the direct approach.
Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal. Order of Orange-Nassau. Wikipedia is amazing!
I'd much rather take advantage of Rooney's proven excellent finishing and positionimg as a striker than play Wilson became he looked good against a 4th division team
Has a journo actually asked why he is playing players out of position? If not then it needs to happen. I would love to sit with LvG and have him explain his reasoning behind the decisions he has made.
But he said we were involved in the game at that point, so it still makes absolutely no sense. In fact it's no different from what I said he said, because that's what he said.
What happened to his absolute need to have someone with pace up front as well? Now he wants his strikers to spend the whole game not running in behind at all?...a few weeks ago he played our most expensive player out of position just to avoid this happening?
He's all over the place.
You can only play great attacking football with great attacking players.
I am truly amazed with the Herrera situation. I know nor Mata or Herrera where Van Gaal signings but I thought under LVG those two would be first name on the team sheet.
I expected Rooney to be the one who he would perhaps "drop" and look to establish the aplha male....im the boss ....over the squad.
Instead it looks like Mata can only be trusted at home against weak opposition and Herrera cant be trusted at all. He seems to be even more concerened with keeping Rooney in the side than Moyes was.
In the world cup he made a number of significant tactical / player changes during the game which had a direct effect. Other than throwing Fellaini on we havent seen that.
Those are the negastives.
The positives is definatley players in / out.
Those going out for me where all totally correct. Fergie squad men who all helped Moyes get the sack and all of who clearly dont have the balls to fight for there place - good riddance to all of them, still a few left hanging around but they'l go in the summer too.
Herrera and Shaw where already confirmed - perhaps giggs signings more than LVG.
I think Falcao and Di Maria where woodwards marquee signings that LVG "ok'd".....who wouldnt?
But getting Rojo and Blind for a combined fee of less than £30m for two experianced yet young players who have the potential to get even better was great business.
So along with the league position (which i expect us to maintain), a decent run in the cup then i have confidence that if we give Van Gaal money to bring in the players he wants then next season (sound like a liverpool fan) we will be bang in the mix competing for the league.
And the same VG who thinks right and left CB's and CM's have to be played on the right and left of the midfield and defence lol, yet he does not mind playing other players out of position
Good article that and says what a lot of us are saying here! Hopefully the press start questioning LVG and his motives - I feel its the only way to get him to realize his tactics and playing players out of position are actually detrimental! He needs to seriously wake the feck up and get his head out of this arse! Its a bit worrying that we're talking like this about a manager like him in bloody February, when many expected us to kick on and play some decent football.
If he played mata on the tip of the diamond, Herrera and di Maria has the central 2, with blind holding, and perhaps play rooney Upton with one of our strikers, the team could function
Or if it's too open, he could switch things around, play Carrick blind with Herrera given a free role to link up play with rooney, and have di Maria janazaj Supporting rooney in a 4231 system.
Or perhaps play fellaini and blind in CM, and play a 442 with di Maria janazaj rooney falcao/RVP up top, there is always options, but VG has not Done this
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