Just read a stat that Ozil and Cazorla have created as much chances as our entire team. Ozil with 47 I read earlier, so Cazorla with 34. Philosophy.
Louis Van Gaal | 2015-16 Performance Thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Pulis's West Brom has created more chances than us...
The fact that we have created the fewest chances is inexcusable, I don't get why he is so negative. Hopefully with the easier run of fixtures we have ahead things will change.
It's appalling that after the Palace game he still said that the only reason we didn't create more was because we didn't have enough of the ball. That's blind stupidity right there.
In his utopia, we are creating chances and we are failing to convert them. One day this shit on stick football will end. I enjoyed the glory days under Fergie, and this is just something to endure through. This too will end.
If you could give Van Gaal a rating out of ten, like you can with the players after each match, what do you think your average would be for him so far this season?
I'd give him a 5.5 or 6 out of 10.
3
Something around 3 or 4
I will give a 5 to 5.5... A bit less than the my team average rating..
He is very stubborn and believes in his philosophy more than anything else. I'm convinced he thinks the reason we're not doing too well is not because we play poorly per so but because we still have problems replicating his philosophy properly.
Did he say that? I haven't seen any quotes along those lines.
It was in the post match interview. He said that we didn't have enough of the ball to create the chances we needed.
FFS...
That's disgusting.
To be fair we didn't keep the ball as well as usual. Statistically we were below our average possession and pass success rate. 53% possession isn't good enough if you are banking on tiring out the opponent towards the end of the game. Herrera and Schneiderlin played stupid passes more than once and they weren't the only ones with lapses. It still doesn't explain why there isn't more tempo to our passing game.
Surely the penny has dropped by now that we're not tiring anyone out, no matter how much possession we have? Watch the way teams play against us. As soon as they loss the ball they sit deep and let us pass it around in front of them. The opposition players are all packed into a small area of the pitch and cover very little ground.
I don't think LVG has figured that out. I reckon he doesn't really understand the Premier League, and how you play against the smaller teams. He has his idea of how football should be played and IMO it's a bit outdated. But, he will to stick with it.
If he thinks that he's right.
But he's responsible for implementing his philosophy and having the players execute it. It's about time he makes sure the players progress in the creating part of the philosophy, because that's an important part of it to. Movement without the ball, anticipating the pass before the one is supposed to provide has recieved the ball, looking for the third man, seeing the incisive pass immediately etc. His teams used to attack in patterns and automatisms, giving them freedom from structure, this was obviously well trained and exercised, but it made players look like they all had great vision and eyes in their backs.
Sometimes they seem very close to getting there, sometimes they seem as far off as a year ago. There's no steady progress in that department and that is something that should be adressed by Van Gaal.
You've got me wrong. I was doing my best van Gaal impression and trying to outline his reasoning for saying something like that. He did say recently iirc that the purpose of possession football is control and tiring out your opponent. It seems the penny hasn't dropped with him that possession without more tempo won't tire out the opponent. Regardless if it works or not, we didn't keep the ball well enough at the weekend and our passing was sloppy(Edit: by his standards). We didn't have the control he wants us to have.
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I think that works and has possibly worked for him in the past, it justs doesnt work in English football. He's trying to impose his style on the league rather than adapting it to fit the league.
They are some aspects of his philosophy that are an improvement for us in the premier league, and will benefit us, such as ball retention. But the zombie movement of our forward line is one that wont, especially for a league renowned for pace and power. Its something he has totally neglected and its costing us.
West Brom 
. They spend almost entire games around their own penalty box. It's absolutely pathetic we've created less chances than them.
LvG talking about the fans being the 12th man tonight. They need something to actually cheer for Louie if you want that. Watching this dross isn't going to help an atmosphere.
. They spend almost entire games around their own penalty box. It's absolutely pathetic we've created less chances than them. LvG talking about the fans being the 12th man tonight. They need something to actually cheer for Louie if you want that. Watching this dross isn't going to help an atmosphere.
Once Guardiola will be a manager in this league I think you'll see that it does work and he'll impose his style on the league. It has also worked for van Gaal in quite a few games. We've probably scored more goals in the second half of games than we did in the first. Still doesn't change the fact that we create too little and he wants our players to be overly efficient.
In essence, I agree. They are elements of this type of football that work. Its just that Van Gaal's own version of possession football is far too rigid, and he has failed to adapt it especially to the kind of players that he has.
Do you think Guardiola would work for us? He has his own quirks that scare me a bit.
It'll be fine. His football is more in tune with Cruyff, as opposed to van Gaal. United would be more attacking with him at the helm despite his desire to dominate possession. Van Gaal's at times seems like possession and passing for the sake of it without enough penetration.
It's not, it can and should be an extra advantage. You move the ball around quickly and the defending team is running after ball, which generally is faster than a player, so spaces will open up. It's also more tiring than passin the ball, so those spaces will open up more easily and get bigger as the match progresses. But you have to stretch a defense with quick passing and movement.
He would be correct if we played with a high press and were confining other teams to the edge of their own area. The fact we play with zero attacking intent means he's wrong. We may as well not have the ball with the way we use it; it's just pathetic to watch these days. Think how much different we'd be under Guardiola if Guardiola had spent all that money...
Mate of mine, who's supporting Munich, is convinced he'll join us. I think he's our best option, if he doesn't renew his contract.
Not my words, his.
No, Van Gaal has always been more attacking than Cruijff, only slightly, but significantly. Same for Guardiola, the difference is that Guardiola got his attacking patterns working, and Van Gaal didn't yet. But whe he does, and they get in the final third with some sense of urgency and purpose, they are allowed to take on defenders more with risking possesion.
It's just a bit easier in Germany, to execute it, but also to learn how to execute it. But also Guardiola has trouble with a parked bus sometimes, and then often even a player who can create something out of nothing won't do.
Don't know what he said exactly and in what context, but I don't agree and with his football from the past in mind, I don't think this part is the whole story why he plays possession football.
I'd love that..Ive seen Barca and Spain play possession football that wasn't as toothless as we play, so I know it can be done. Hell, Spain even did it without a striker winning a cup final 4-0.
I hope we get him then.
When does his contract end? This year?
End of this current season.
I like LVG's version as the first step of a rebuilding because that version teaches the fundamentals of possession football. Like almost everyone I'm a bit fed up with it now, but I really think that it's a uselful step, not an obligatory step but a useful one.
Guess this'll resonate with many.
Van Gaal does not 'get' #MUFC - so he should listen to ex-players, argues @MOgdenTelegraph
Van Gaal does not 'get' #MUFC - so he should listen to ex-players, argues @MOgdenTelegraph
I'm beginning to think he needs to go.
Whenever someone lets their contract renewal drag this late, it usually ends up with them not resigning.
Moyes did the same, so did De Gea for example.
I agree, I think he has done a decent job in terms of making us controlling the possession better. We are no longer run through in midfield. An example I can give is when we face City. I remember that even when we played decently against them pre-LVG, they still battered us in midfield. Think of the game of the RVP game at the Etihad in 2012/2013..they dominated our midfield to come back from 2-0 down.
However, the problem is that it seems he's overly obsessed with control over almost anything else. I dont really think he's improved our attack at all since he got here. We scored just 63 goals last season, and we don't create that much chances under him either. You cant win the raffle if you don't buy a ticket. Thats my concern regards him, and one he's struggled with in his tenure here.