Lot of people on the forum said they would take a shit performance but a banterous win. If that wasn't exactly that, I don't know what is. Played poor football. Our supposed 'weaklink' scores a curler, got a penalty off their young prospect, our debutant scores a goal 20 mins into his debut beating 3 players on the way. That's as banterous as it gets.
Louis Van Gaal | 2015-16 Performance Thread
- Thread starter Nighteyes
- Start date
-
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.
I didnt see it like that, at the end of the day Liverpools game plan was to park the bus and catch us on the break. After we scored they realised they had to come out and play. Given how the first half went they were bound to get a spell at some point in the game.
I also thought for the first time in ages LvG got his subs spot on today
I'm sure he wasn't talking about the enterntainment value. From his perspective, control and not giving away chances counts, lacking the final pass to get in behind counts to, but that's a matter of individual moments. Of course he can't be satisfied with the way they let Liverpool get chances in the second half.His idea of good football is an absolute shambles. His comments about the first half being better then the second were just
After his comments earlier it was clear that he would be happy to exegerrate anything negative. I thought the first 20 minutes were OK, then they ran out of ideas and got sloppy, while Liverpool was just hanging back and defending effectively. It two teams play like Liverpool it's gonna be boring, if one doesn't but fails to get in behind it's gonna be boring to. It's not the possesion that makes it boring, it's the failure to run at defenders and beat them (Depay), the failure to play good through balls (Herrera) and the failure of precise crosses. More possession just means more opportunity to do that, not using those opportunities has little to do with the possession.
Balu is very enthousiastic about the general style of play from Heynkes and Guardiola and ignores that it was introduced by Van Gaal and highlights his troublesome spell at that club. Guardiola is much more about keeping possession in the final third but without players like Messi and Iniesta lacks the quality to combine that with goal threat against the strongest opposition. Guardiola's Bayern excells at humiliating much smaller clubs, but it tends to be harmless against the better sides. Where Van Gaal wins a lot of points against the best sides and loses points against the lesser teams, with Guardiola it's the other way around.
But this first half football is not Van Gaal's goal, it's a means to an end. It's a prerequisite to play the game like he wants it. So to him that's very important and he can't be satisfied if it's not there and he's quite satisfied when it is.
Can someone pul out a stat of his record against top 4 teams ? I guess he has the best record out of all the managers against big teams.
Rumours about him getting a new contract. Sign him up Woody!!
Second in the league, scoring some class goals and the defence looking the best it has in years and there's a front page poll asking if he should be sacked.
Over a quarter of you want him gone by the end of the season. After getting us back into the CL and then getting us second so far.
I'd honestly send these people back to the newbies.
I'd honestly send these people back to the newbies.
Probably the same nutters that said the squad he took over was already title-winning quality...
He's done great work fixing up a mess of a squad, and we've just had one of our best ever transfer windows.
His idea of good football is an absolute shambles. His comments about the first half being better then the second were just
That first half was probably the worst game of football I've ever seen. And if thats what LVG deems as good, or is what he wants to see week in week out, then I really can't wait for his tenure to be over. Regardless of whatever success he might achieve. Like Nev said in commentary, it was a disgrace.
As much as I want us to be winning trophies again, I also want to enjoy watching United play, and not just for the winning. And quite frankly LVG's style of football is absolutely horrendous, unless you're trying to put yourself into a self induced coma.
These comments from @Balu doesn't exactly reassure me either....
He meant the first half was better because we were also in control, obviously he wasn't happy because we lacked the final pass and he cited that as the reason he made the tactical switch, in the second we scored a goal from our set play and after that Liverpool had to attack so chances were going to be created but we should never have lost control.
He is right, the first half had everything but the work in the final third and so he made the tactical switch, in the second half we had that but the team lost control and they shouldn't have. Liverpool should have been level had it not been for an instinctive goal line clearance by Blind, there are no excuses for that, we should not have let them back in the game.
Liverpool had 2 touches in our penalty area first half, 17 in the second half.
All he said was we were better in the first half (overall performance) not that he liked it, if he liked it he wouldn't have made a half time tactical change.
Also Guardiola didn't take over Moyes' mess, and he didn't take over Klinsmann's mess either. It's easy to play attractive football when you take over the Barcelona he did, or when you take over a Bayern team that had just won the treble however when you inherit the situations Louis van Gaal did then you first must be practical and work towards building a team capable of playing attractive football.
It is his second season and also United's second season of possession based football, we are going through a big shift like Bayern did and Barcelona too, it took Barcelona a while to become the Barcelona we now know, Bayern have a much easier league, in this premier league it's understandably going to take time and if you want top four you need to be cautious, look at what's happening to Mourinho! Pellegrini, Wenger and Louis van Gaal could all end up with 4 points from 5 games at some point this season, the manager is doing it the right way by making sure he also gets the points on the board.
The defence is doing well, the midfield is controlling games, he has spoken of his dissatisfaction with our play in the final third but it's something he is working on. If you want to watch end to end football then support a midtable team, with the way this league's going if you give the opposition too many chances they will hurt you, they have the players to do that and it's only the beginning, their wealth means better players each season now.
If you are not prepared to debate it then dont bother commenting, everything I have said is spot on, I am delighted to beat Liverpool but its plain for all to see that if the man in charge seriously thinks the first half was better than the second half then thats not the brand of football I want my team to be playing even GNev who was commentating said how boring and lifeless the first half was.
He wants total control of the game with the discipline in his players, he is not at Barca or Bayern now, his is in the toughest league in world football. He is not going to get 75% possession and expect our front players to be creative whilst keeping their shape, it comes to something when our main threat is our left back. He has had the money, he has had 3 transfer windows, its time to deliver not only a title challenge but an entertaining brand of football our club demands, as far as I am concerned. He would have got a massive pat on the back for the second half from me, but he is clearly asked what was the difference in performance between the first half and second half & he did say the first half was better - unbelievable.
We won 3-1 against Liverpool and you're arguing about a post match quote to the press from our manager.
26 points from 12 games V the "top 6". (Chelsea,City,Arsenal,Liverpool,Spurs).
2.1666 points per game.
Which would get you 82 over 38 games.
He really is great against the better teams.
2.1666 points per game.
Which would get you 82 over 38 games.
He really is great against the better teams.
The first half was better than the second half. Liverpool could've had 4 if they were more clinical after we scored our first. We didn't give them any space in the 1st half and our pressing was much better coordinated.
The most salient reason I believe Louis can win the league before his time is up is because there is no great team in English football at the moment. Further proof of this can be found in last seasons' CL.
Sick of reading the overanalysing of his 'I preferred the first half' comment. It was obviously referring to the control we had, compared to the second when Liverpool had a lot more chances.
But the LVG-out crowd will criticise him for damn near anything.
Said it far too much in the last 24 hours but our supporters are amongst the worst in the league when it comes to stupidity and narrow-mindedness.
But the LVG-out crowd will criticise him for damn near anything.
Said it far too much in the last 24 hours but our supporters are amongst the worst in the league when it comes to stupidity and narrow-mindedness.
24 points in 13 games isn't it? If you include our FA Cup loss to Arsenal
Chelsea: 1-1 D, 0-1 L - 1 pt
City: 0-1 L, 4-2 W - 3 pts
Arsenal: 2-1 W, 1-2 L, 1-1 D - 4 pts
Liverpool: 3-0 W, 2-1 W, 3-1 W - 9 pts
Spurs: 0-0 D, 3-0 W, 1-0 W - 7 pts
Narrow-mindedness yes, but for stupdity it has to go to Liverpool and City fans.
Work in progress. He is doing absolutely fine in what is a very difficult job. I am excited as to what we can achieve over the next few seasons with him in charge.
What were his actual words?
In all honesty, I don't see how he could say he preferred the first half when the second half was 45 minutes of fantastic entertainment and the first half was dull as ditchwater.
I can't believe he's happy with possession football that has no end result.
He isn't. He said the end product was missing.
Get a life brah
Fair play to him - Gary knows a thing or two about being boring and lifeless.
You got a point. The constant negativity is getting tedious. Yes there are some weaknesses and we could do better but then again, it's a difficult league and people remember the good old Fergie times only with there red tinted glasses
Fair enough. But I'd prefer it if he'd actually said how fantastic the second half was.
Maybe he was worried that Liverpool would take their chances? Because they did have a few?
Second half was fantastic for the neutral of course. Was it fantastic for the manager on the sidelines? Especially in the last 10 minutes? Doubt it.
He wants the control (and domination) seen in the first half with better end product. Not sure why it's hard to understand. It's what top teams do. Second half was a bit too open and that's all he was referring to.
Basically he said that we were in control in the first half, we were more comfortable but created nothing. In the second half we lost the control of the game but the first goal created more space and we exploited it, that's more or less what he said.
I get that he wants that - I just wish he'd show more enthusiasm for attacking football as he does seem to favour caution. The United way has always been to just score more than the opposition rather than prevent them scoring.
That's a dangerous way to play by. Outscoring opponents is effective if you have a world class striker in his prime. Aguero or Suarez or rvp. Right now there are no one like that so we can't go about that way. It's much sensible to control the game and score goals and concede as less as possible.
Yup. And it fits in with what Van Gaal has said during the summer (that there's no point buying a striker that's not top level - to improve on what we have).
Until a top striker is available I can understand why we're not buying beyond 'potential' like Martial.
He wants Muller. We won't get him but that's the level we're shooting for.
I think people get confused over what lvg wants to see because of comments like the one about the 1st half. The way I see I think the ideal thing he's aiming to get us to is that first half level of control over the opposition but with penetration. I.e total domination. That's actually possession football perfectly pulled off. It's what Barcelona do or bayern do. Of course I don't actually believe we have the players for it but he wants a half like that first half but with two goals stemming from great play. I doubt he wants to see helper skelter play or possession without goals.
Exactly. Someone like Neymar or Muller makes sense. Hopefully martial becomes one
Oh absolutely - I was just referring to something I believe Matt Busby once said, and he probably didn't mean it literally either! But you get the gist.
The thing with LVG is that he's very good in the big games. Games of this nature are usually decided by small details and he happens to get these right judging by his record against the top 6 or so.
My main concern comes against smaller teams, where I feel he tries to use the same approach as he'd use for a big team. Football can be simple and Fergie often beat the inferior teams by playing players in the right position and looking to score more than the opponents. He tries to win tactical battles against average managers when we don't necessarily need that to win a game. Of course there will be times when small details will decide a game against average teams but for the most part if we go out onto the pitch just looking to score as many goals as possible we would not struggle as much imo.
My main concern comes against smaller teams, where I feel he tries to use the same approach as he'd use for a big team. Football can be simple and Fergie often beat the inferior teams by playing players in the right position and looking to score more than the opponents. He tries to win tactical battles against average managers when we don't necessarily need that to win a game. Of course there will be times when small details will decide a game against average teams but for the most part if we go out onto the pitch just looking to score as many goals as possible we would not struggle as much imo.
The first half would have been excellent had he the final pass so chances were created, he said that's what was missing hence the tactical change. I would rather United totally dominate Liverpool and create chance after chance (while they do nothing) which is what the manager wants as opposed to an end to end game which could go either way.
Under Louis van Gaal we have now beaten Liverpool convincingly three times in a row and I'm expecting he will beat them convincingly again at Anfield.
The play in the final third needs to improve obviously, he recognises it too and so I'm sure it will. Ferguson said last year not to judge the new players because they need a season to adapt so I think to expect these new players to instantly gel is unreasonable but we should in the second half of the season start seeing something fun more often than not, the attack just needs chemistry.
Didn't know where to post guys but I'm looking for that video of LVG when he's talking about how the fans sing...
Louis van Gaal's ARMY! Louis van Gaal's ARMY!
Lol he's a crazy guy
Louis van Gaal's ARMY! Louis van Gaal's ARMY!
Lol he's a crazy guy
"Anthony Michelle"
His subs are awful.
I can't wait.
What was he thinking not bringing on Schneiderlin at some point. It could have made life easier for Schwein later on in the game.