Man Utd v Arsenal

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Under Van Gaal, there is consistency, there is a positivity about the club, we go into games against Chelsea and City and Arsenal and Liverpool thinking "we're going to win this game". We don't always, but we always do well, we always perform, we've never been blown away by a team this season like we were so often last season. And then there is the effect he has had on some of the players. People thought he was mad giving Smalling captaincy today, but he earned it. He was the best defender on the pitch, he was a leader when United needed someone to push forward and he lead by example. Ashley Young, man of the match, he was headed for the bin last season, not a single United fan believed he deserved to stay at the club, now he's one of the first names on the teamsheet. Fellaini, still a limited player, a blunt object in a precision game, but Van Gaal has used him as a wrecking ball and he's made a difference at United this season.

*cough* MK Dons
*cough* Leicester City.
*cough* Everton

 

[Whitechapel]

Our away fans drowning out van Gaal's end of season speech.

 

[Orion]

*cough* MK Dons
*cough* Leicester City.
*cough* Everton

MK Dons, perhaps, but that was Van Gaal's early days in England, playing a weak side in which only a few players actually survived the transfer window. My theory at the time was he was using it (as well as a few other games) as a test of who he wanted to keep. Needless to say, not a lot.

Everton and Leicester I wouldn't say we were blown away. Everton we had more possession, more shots, we controlled the game from start to finish, we just couldn't score. Everton had 3 chances and took them. Leicester, we controlled the first half of that game, we had it won, it was a good comeback which started with a few lucky decisions.

Compare that to under Moyes, games against Chelsea, Liverpool, City, Everton, and even teams outside the upper end of the table, and taking 2-4 goal spankings where we never had a moment in the game that looked like we could get a draw, never mind a win. That's what I mean by being blown away by a team. Games where there is no excuse, where we should have done better, where Fergie with almost the same squad would have got something out of it.