Louis Van Gaal | 2015-16 Performance Thread

Van Gaal: The verdict

  • 1) Sack him now.

  • 2) Sack him at the end of the season.

  • 3) Let him see out his contract and part ways after that.

  • 4) Extend his contract.

  • Undecided (between 1 and 2).

  • Undecided (between 2 and 3).

  • Undecided (between 3 and 4, if things improve before his contract expires, extend).

Results are only viewable after voting.
ThePlaymaker said:
Exactly. I don't know why people think its effective when its the opposite. Maybe because Lvg put Fellaini on at West Brom and West Ham away last season and we get a result, people say its the same thing, when its not.

It was definitely on instructions. Its a very mediocre tactical setup and good teams can deal with it comfortably. I'll criticize Lvg when he use that again. Our team has way much better talents to resort to something like that.
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I agree that what they did against PSV was lousy. Looked to me that it was not trained at all. Probably LVG instructed the team to play towards Fellaini and had West Brom and West Ham in mind.

They will need to work on how to use Fellaini properly if it is used as a plan B. Very frustrating otherwise because right when they needed to give everything instead it just basically fell apart. And not once but twice already.

Should be dealt with asap because we probably need those final minutes in the upcoming weeks.
 
GapMinder said:
I agree that what they did against PSV was lousy. Looked to me that it was not trained at all. Probably LVG instructed the team to play towards Fellaini and had West Brom and West Ham in mind.

They will need to work on how to use Fellaini properly if it is used as a plan B. Very frustrating otherwise because right when they needed to give everything instead it just basically fell apart. And not once but twice already.

Should be dealt with asap because we probably need those final minutes in the upcoming weeks.
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Don't you think there is a bit of player stupidity in there. It is one thing to put a tall striker on the park and put your self in a position to use it to your advantage, and another to aimlessly hoof the ball into the box. We hear all the time about LVG saying players should use their head and thier heart. So he is clearly giving players the instruction to adopt different tactics when it is convenient for them, not to blindly just do one thing all the time. We wouldn't expect Young to go attack three defenders and get in a boxed position , if he could attack and then pass it to a better placed player OR shoot from 40 yards just because we think the GK is dodgy. It should be about play the right ball at the right time, and a lot of that is down to the players on the park.
 
#07 said:
Fair play to Louis, he's got us back to the top of the pile.

Some may find my views towards Van Gaal contradictory, as I go from full confidence to no confidence in him with the changes in the weather. Football is an emotional game, only a robot would be well reasoned in the immediate aftermath of a loss. In the cold light of day, evaluating where we have been and where we are now, its clear United has made progress though. The manager deserves credit for that.

Van Gaal has found a system he likes, stubbornly stuck with it, and has got the players accustomed to what he wants out of it. It may not be particularly entertaining right now, his selections may confuse, but in United's past three league matches the team has scored nine times: Three against Liverpool, three against Southampton, three against Sunderland. Something is working. If we continue to score three times in every game we will be there or thereabouts come May.
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1) That's an unreasonable expectation.
2) If we do that we'd win the league and break the record for points.
 
SalfordRed1960 said:
Don't you think there is a bit of player stupidity in there. It is one thing to put a tall striker on the park and put your self in a position to use it to your advantage, and another to aimlessly hoof the ball into the box. We hear all the time about LVG saying players should use their head and thier heart. So he is clearly giving players the instruction to adopt different tactics when it is convenient for them, not to blindly just do one thing all the time. We wouldn't expect Young to go attack three defenders and get in a boxed position , if he could attack and then pass it to a better placed player OR shoot from 40 yards just because we think the GK is dodgy. It should be about play the right ball at the right time, and a lot of that is down to the players on the park.
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Yes, fully agree they have to think and they played stupid.

But still think putting pressure with Fellaini should be trained specifically too if it is a plan B. It is such an important phase in a match.
 
GapMinder said:
Yes, fully agree they have to think and they played stupid.

But still think putting pressure with Fellaini should be trained specifically too if it is a plan B. It is such an important phase in a match.
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Van Gaal has already said that he trains on his plan B with Fellaini and that all the players know what they should do if he comes on, it's up to the players to make the right decision in the matches. I doubt the instruction is aimlessly lump it towards him untill we score and the game is over, since that's too easy to defend against.
 
NL Max said:
Van Gaal has already said that he trains on his plan B with Fellaini and that all the players know what they should do if he comes on, it's up to the players to make the right decision in the matches. I doubt the instruction is aimlessly lump it towards him untill we score and the game is over, since that's too easy to defend against.
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Didn't know that. But based on how they handled it they should work on it some more.
 
I think it's all coming together for Van Gaal, and importantly, the players seem to be totally on board. He is certainly the manager we needed to steady the ship.

Only black spot for me is the Rooney situation. Refusal to drop or even substitite him shows weakness in my view. It is undeniable that his performances have not been good enough. Van Gaal has never allowed another player to perform poorly for a run without being benched, so he is demonstrating a bias here, and tells other players they can never earn a position in the team ahead of Rooney.
 
Im pretty happy with Van Gal. We are developing into a team with an identity and a winning mentality and we seem to be seeing a bit less of the boring football too. Progress.

My only real gripe is the thinness of the squad.
 
I think the difference from earlier in the season is Martial. Before we got him, we were scoring an average of 1.66 goals per game (10 in 6, which includes 7 goals against Brugge.) Since then it's 2.5 (15 in 6) against much tougher opposition, while also creating more chances. Small sample sizes obviously but still a clear difference IMO.
 
I'd rate him as a -10 right now for today. Mind-boggling midfield choice, tired players because he refuses to rotate the squad or can't because he got rid of too many players.
 
Its more so a case of Arsenal playing very well.
 
He should change things instead of just sitting there. The game is more or less gone. Make a tactical switch.
 
Stoichkov described him perfectly, agreed 100% apart the thing on Pedro

Louis van Gaal 'destroying' Manchester United - ex-Barcelona star Stoichkov

Hristo Stoichkov says his former Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal is "destroying" Manchester United, and warned Pedro Rodriguez not to move to Old Trafford.

Stoichkov won five La Liga titles and the 1992 Champions League as a Barca player but left the Camp Nou shortly after Van Gaal's arrival in 1997.

The Dutchman went on to win two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey in his first spell as Barca coach, which ended in 2000, but his second stint, in the 2002-03 season, was much less successful and was marred by a row with Rivaldo.

Stoichkov, now a radio pundit in Spain, told radio show "Al Primer Toque" that Van Gaal could not get on with top players.

"[Van Gaal] makes the players suffer, as he was such a mediocre player himself," the former Bulgaria international said. "He is destroying all the players, as he is so mediocre -- look at the players who have left because of him. First he destroyed Barcelona in that era, then it takes many years to rebuild."

United have invested heavily over the last two summers, but Stoichkov said he was unimpressed with their performance in Saturday's Premier League opener against Tottenham, when a Kyle Walker own goal gave them a 1-0 win.

"Now [Van Gaal] is spending €200m, and the other day I saw their first game in the English league -- disastrous," he said. "They won 1-0 with an own goal and he is happy."

United are expected to sign Pedro from Barca this summer after selling Angel Di Maria to Paris Saint-Germain.

The forward did not arrive at Barca until after Van Gaal's departure, though, and Stoichkov said the Spain international would damage his career if he moved to Old Trafford.

"I would never let Pedro leave, never, because if he goes there he will stop being a player," he said. "I hope Pedro listens and says: 'I'm staying at Barcelona.'"
 
We need to stop playing players out of position. Its a good option if we need it, but having a midfielder as our first choice CB, playing a winger at LB despite having defenders who can do that.. Having Rooney on the pitch..

Its too much for any team to carry.
Just sign some players and have some depth. At least give the team a proper shot at challenging and not send them out with one hand tied behind every single game.
 
Atrocious idea of putting a midfield pairing of Carrick and Schweinsteiger against an energetic team like Arsenal, away from home. How could he not see this coming? It's a monumental error. Last year we were so effective in big games with the energy of Herrera and Fellaini there. We needed midfield 3 with Schweinsteiger and any 2 out of Fellaini, Herrera or Schneiderlin. This is simply gifting points away. He's usually considered an intelligent person. Not showing it today.
 
prateik said:
We need to stop playing players out of position. Its a good option if we need it, but having a midfielder as our first choice CB, playing a winger at LB despite having defenders who can do that.. Having Rooney on the pitch..

Its too much for any team to carry.
Just sign some players and have some depth. At least give the team a proper shot at challenging and not send them out with one hand tied behind every single game.
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We've had square pegs in round holes since he took over. He's spent a fortune and we've been ruined by an injury to one defender. It's embarrassing.
 
Does the philosophy book list any solutions to going 3 goals down? We are playing as if we are cruising, not losing. :lol:
 
Poor tactical decision today. Young looks lost at left back, our static midfield is getting overrunned and he keeps selecting a player who is playing like a pub player.
 
Forget about the initial set-up. Everybody makes mistakes. Why no reaction or change after 30 minutes of this though?
 
Ainu said:
Atrocious idea of putting a midfield pairing of Carrick and Schweinsteiger against an energetic team like Arsenal, away from home. How could he not see this coming? It's a monumental error. Last year we were so effective in big games with the energy of Herrera and Fellaini there. We needed midfield 3 with Schweinsteiger and any 2 out of Fellaini, Herrera or Schneiderlin. This is simply gifting points away. He's usually considered an intelligent person. Not showing it today.
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Spot on.
 
Mentioned in another thread, but has LVG ever been 2+ goals down with United? There was the Leicester 5-3 but that was late on in the game, I'm talking about starting the game off with a big deficit.

I fear this could be a weakness of his, being unable to comeback from big scorelines like this. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong.
 
Lack of a change is baffling. Things like this happen occasionally but you've got to at least react to it.
 
This game needed a 3 man midfield, and it isn't one when it's Rooney as the #10.

Schweinsteiger is getting turned over, but it's like Schweinsteiger is having to do Rooney's job as well.
 
In a big picture sense this is nothing really. Freak games happen, mistakes happen.

Taking this game on its own though it was a pretty dangerous way to set us up and the lack of change (or even good options to change things) is worrying.
 
Zero subs. Look at the state of the help the fullbacks are getting. Wouldn't surprise me if they had a fight at half time over it.

It's a powder puff team out there. Where is the pressing? Where is the physicality? Look how hard Arsenal are pressing against this slow as feck team.
 
Fair to say he's got this one wrong. To come to the Emirates and think we can impose our game on them is a bold step too far.
 
"We kept possession well. Besides the three goals, we controlled the half. Probably the best half of football we have played this season. Proud of the boys"
 
We've been playing into Arsenal's hands for 45 minutes.
 
Totally destroyed tactically by Arsene fecking Wenger. Pathetic.
 
Completely underestimated Arsenal's pace and tempo which to be fair, shouldn't be a secret to anyone who has watched them over the years.
 
He has to be fecking taking a piss with Schweinsteiger/Carrick midfield when we're playing a fecking winger at left back with a left winger in front of him who's fecking lazy and doesn't track back. Literally asking to get fecking destroyed and so we are.
 
Can't fathom a situation where you pick Carrick over Schneiderlin against Arsenal in 2015.
 
We've been blown away, it happens and the set up was badly wrong. But I don't understand why we've gone a whole half without him changing it.
 
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