Van Gaal - Horny Manager

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Louis van Gaal: "The club doesn't have to fire or sack me -- sometimes I do it by myself."

 

[Art Morte]

Maybe he's going to walk out, then. Not like that squad is greatly underperforming anyway. No one but the goalkeeper would start for City.

 

[liu]

Feel a little sorry for LVG. There must be some deep problems inside the club. Neither him nor Moyes is capable of trashing the club so completely.

 

[Pagnell]

The guy plays shit, insipid football which was painful when the results were coming in. Now they aren't, he deserves all the ridicule for how he sets the team up that he should have been getting in the first place. Couple that with him being a miserable, arrogant bastard. I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest.

 

[Art Morte]

The guy plays shit, insipid football which was painful when the results were coming in. Now they aren't, he deserves all the ridicule for how he sets the team up that he should have been getting in the first place.

Does he set up his team so negative, really? Their midfield was Garrick, Herrera and Fellaini, with Depay, Mata and Martial in attack. Look at the bench and he hardly has any attacking players to throw in the mix. Rooney, yes, who everyone has been calling to be benched.

United's biggest problem is that the squad is shite and that no manager will make that squad title-winners. Van Gaal must carry some blame for the squad being so average, but people are blaming him too much for the poor quality of their play.

 

[Pagnell]

Are United really in no better a position to play football that's worth watching than, say Watford or Palace? The answer is obvious when you look at the squads. Yet both those teams are far more entertaining. Van Gaal decides how they play, there is no clear game plan despite him being at the helm for 18 months, and his plan b consists of nothing more than long balls to Fellaini.

 

[Renegade]

Does he set up his team so negative, really? Their midfield was Garrick, Herrera and Fellaini, with Depay, Mata and Martial in attack. Look at the bench and he hardly has any attacking players to throw in the mix. Rooney, yes, who everyone has been calling to be benched.

United's biggest problem is that the squad is shite and that no manager will make that squad title-winners. Van Gaal must carry some blame for the squad being so average, but people are blaming him too much for the poor quality of their play.

Team set up isn't solely about formation, it might look reasonably attacking on paper, but when you factor in the style of play it is horrifically negative. They focus on possession, always take an extra touch and will turn back towards their own goal if there's even the slightest chance they'll lose the ball by taking on a forward pass. They didn't create anything in the first half of the game today. The personnel is not going to win the title, but it is more than capable of playing somewhat entertaining football and finishing in the top four.

Manchester United have taken the 15th most shots in the Premier League this season, they have the 15th most shots on target. They average 3 shots on target per game. The most boring team in the Premier League. He deserves every ounce of criticism he's getting.

 

[Art Morte]

Are United really in no better a position to play football that's worth watching than, say Watford or Palace? The answer is obvious when you look at the squads. Yet both those teams are far more entertaining. Van Gaal decides how they play, there is no clear game plan despite him being at the helm for 18 months, and his plan b consists of nothing more than long balls to Fellaini.

Well, how do you decide who's more entertaining? A lot has been made about how boring United are, but that's also because the expectations are higher than with Watford or Palace. United have score 22 goals while the other two 23. And these teams are 5th, 6th and 7th in the table. No differences there.

For my money, Van Gaal isn't to blame for his "negative tactics" or how bad this United team plays. He is to blame for not making the squad better than what it is, and for that he may well deserve to be sacked, but it's lazy analysis to say that Van Gaal is making United play really boring. Because the real reason United are playing bad and boring is that the players just aren't that good. Bolasie and Ighalo would be starting for this United team.

Much like Rodgers, Van Gaal should be sacked because his transfers haven't been good enough. Not because he's making his players play like shit. Because they just are what they are.

 

[RedRebellion]

Much like Rodgers, Van Gaal should be sacked because his transfers haven't been good enough. Not because he's making his players play like shit. Because they just are what they are.

He doesn't help attacking players express themselves thats proven. We had one of the top players in the world (Di Maria) started playing amazing then in a couple of months his form dipped, Martial one of the brightest young talents in the world. Memphis Depay? These players come in and can't perform in his ridgid system.

His transfers haven't been good enough either, why did he sell all the strikers and bring in one 19 year old and expected him to carry the team?. We got two players in Schneiderlin and Schweini that the too similar to Carrick and needed another defender as they are all weak/get injured constantly.

 

[Art Morte]

He doesn't help attacking players express themselves thats proven. We had one of the top players in the world (Di Maria) started playing amazing then in a couple of months his form dipped, Martial one of the brightest young talents in the world. Memphis Depay? These players come in and can't perform in his ridgid system.

His transfers haven't been good enough either, why did he sell all the strikers and bring in one 19 year old and expected him to carry the team?. We got two players in Schneiderlin and Schweini that the too similar to Carrick and needed another defender as they are all weak/get injured constantly.

Dude, that's what I'm saying, transfers. Shipped out Di Maria. Shipped out RVP and Chicarito. Like you said. Like I said. Depay, he's just one more evidence that the Dutch league can't be trusted any more. Van Gaal hasn't made him bad, it's obvious to everyone he's not as good as he was hyped up to be.

Van Gaal bought too many defensive-minded players while shipped out too many of the attacking ones. That's where he failed.

 

[Renegade]

And he's trying to play the football Barcelona did several iterations ago. Style is a large reason for his failure and the negative backlash he is receiving.

 

[Art Morte]

And he's trying to play the football Barcelona did several iterations ago. Style is a large reason for his failure and the negative backlash he is receiving.

Come on, that's just non-sense. Which of the United players are actually good at making things happen in attack? Martial can dribble a bit and Mata can find a pass if the other players create space for him first. That's simply not enough to play good attacking football.

 

[Stevencc]

 

[Renegade]

Come on, that's just non-sense. Which of the United players are actually good at making things happen in attack? Martial can dribble a bit and Mata can find a pass if the other players create space for him first. That's simply not enough to play good attacking football.

It isn't, the game at the top level is passing LVG by. thespus linked this in another thread, it sums up Van Gaal's rigid tactics pretty well:

Rooney, Mata, Herrera, Depay and Martial are not playing anywhere close to their potential. Yes, Rooney is probably past it, but the others are suffering because of the system they are playing in. They are suffering directly from Van Gaal's tactics and the lack of freedom they have in a system which values possession and position over attacking incision.

How are attacking players meant to create anything when they have no space to operate? By focusing on possession, United allow opposing teams to have eight players in defence most of the time. Players like Martial and Depay thrive in space, on the counter-attack, using the wings like United did under Ferguson. Their pace is their greatest weapon and they generally have no space to run into. When they do have space, they aren't told to make runs, they just stick in the positions they have been assigned by LVG. Any counter attacks United have had under LVG have been stifled by an insistence on keeping possession, they turn back and allow teams to get behind the ball. A fear of losing as opposed to a desire to win.

Don't be surprised to see several of the United attacking players create and score once he leaves.

 

[SALTIRE]

That's got to be Man Utd's worst run of results since Atkinson was manager surely? Even Moyes couldn't have been as bad as that for results in consecutive games.

 

[The Iron]

That's got to be Man Utd's worst run of results since Atkinson was manager surely? Even Moyes couldn't have been as bad as that for results in consecutive games.

It's great isn't it

 

[Stevencc]

That's got to be Man Utd's worst run of results since Atkinson was manager surely? Even Moyes couldn't have been as bad as that for results in consecutive games.

- No win in 7
- 4 defeats in a row
- 4 wins in 16
- 14 wins in 34
- 6th in the table
- Out of the CL group stage
- Knocked out of the LC by Championship team

Probably some records in there somewhere that plumb depths even Big Dog Moyes didn't manage to sink to.

 

[RedRebellion]

That's got to be Man Utd's worst run of results since Atkinson was manager surely? Even Moyes couldn't have been as bad as that for results in consecutive games.

Yeah it is much worse than Moyes. Seen an article earlier and per game Moyes has won more points than Van Gaal. It must be said that United were lucky to get in the top four last season in the end. He only earnt 3 more points last season than Moyes did in his season. There was just a drop off in competition between top sides.

 

[SALTIRE]

It must be said that United were lucky to get in the top four last season in the end. He only earnt 3 more points last season than Moyes did in his season. There was just a drop off in competition between top sides.

Agree about that, if Liverpool hadn't capitulated in the end or had Sturridge fit (if's and but's I know) then they wouldn't have got fourth, they fell over the line in the end.

 

[Football Purist]

Great to see Man Ure playing shit football and losing games so LVG is certainly the RIGHT man for the job.

 

[Stevencc]

https://twitter.com/TrollFootball/status/680816863253639168

 

[Jarv]

That's got to be Man Utd's worst run of results since Atkinson was manager surely? Even Moyes couldn't have been as bad as that for results in consecutive games.

worst run of results since 1990 according to BBC today

 

[SALTIRE]

worst run of results since 1990 according to BBC today

Or 54 years depending on what each paper says. Fergie was almost out on his arse in '90 as well, yeah I forgot about that.

 

[Eamonn]

LVG does deserve a lot of blame but the players embarrassing attitudes showing no fight or desire to press or chase balls, showing little anger or frustration is the biggest issue. No-one particularly seems to give a fuck and it looked like they effectively threw the game yesterday,LVG is not telling the players not to attack, by all accounts from his statement yesterday that they "didnt dare to play football" is one okay an indictment of their lack of confidence in the set up but also the mentality many of them have, they are professional top class players, they should be able to string some forward passes together and some movement but it really does feel like they lack any desire to win games and want the manager sacked. It is best for all parties for LVG to go but I fear many more years of management changes as these players constantly dont take responsibility for their performances.

 

[Football Purist]

worst run of results since 1990 according to BBC today

How come you follow Man Yoo?

 

[Kyle Hatch]

i wonder if we can get anchelotti in till the summer, before he goes and wins everything for bayern, then either get guardiola or a n other, or let giggs take over from there (not convinced he should, but its clearly the plan)

 

[Mr. Scruff]

Maybe he's going to walk out, then. Not like that squad is greatly underperforming anyway. No one but the goalkeeper would start for City.

Thats clearly bollocks, we have been beyond pathetic recently losing the last 4 games and yet they are only 6 points ahead of us.

Schneirdelin and Shaw are both head and shoulders above anything they have in their respective positions. Smalling would partner Kompany or Otamendi too. That's about it I suppose. Martial or Sterling is a toss up, the two most talented youngsters in the league.

Anyway time for Van Gaal to go now. I feel sorry for him. The press is gunning for him in a way that Moyes never got and the constant negativity aimed at him ahas definitely impacted on the confidence of the players. That combined with the injury crisis fucked him.

But with resluts this bad he's clearly lost the dressing room and if you cant motivate the players to perform whatever the reasons or circumstances you probably should go.

I think some on here think I'm a great defender of the man on here but the reality is I have a mixed opinion of him. I've found plenty to criticise. The odd team selections, the continual picking of Rooney, the 5 at the back, the excessive sales , but up until these last few weeks people were too harsh.

Not any more if before he was just about par he's now well below it. Perhaps he deservs till the season is absolutely over, the same as the Moyes got but we simply cant afford to fuck another managerial appointment up. If Pep is indeed City bound and Mourinho is wanted by Madrid we need to step in before he goes there. I have no doubt Mourinho would prefer to come to United than go back to that circus. He'll have everything he always wanted. Which means we simply cant afford to give Van Gaal time.

He had a tough job after the worst managerial performance in history but in the end he's come up short

 

[Pagnell]

Van Gaal has been no better than Moyes. In fact, after 18 games two seasons back, Moyes had more points, which really should have anyone even contemplating defending Van Gaal thinking twice. He's spent shit loads, and they've gone backwards.

 

[Camborne Gills]

The problem for United is that they think they have a divine right to be winning everything, based on their recent history. It is that sort of arrogant attitude that makes their current struggles that much more enjoyable.

Seems quite similar to what has happened to Liverpool since they won practically everything in the 80s

 

[Pagnell]

I notice that Epic geezer hasn't been in here defending Van Gaal and his playing style in the last few days. Perhaps he's finally realised that particular horse died a death weeks back.