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.
This isn't so much a criticism as an observation but the fact we had to play a close to first choice defence tonight isn't a great sign for the squad depth we have in defensive positions, particularly when you consider that Ashley Young was our one defensive substitution. Obviously Shaw's injury came out of the blue but even allowing for he and McNair being fit I think we're short a reliable defender who could come in for a game like this and give Smalling the night off. That's something I'd like to see LVG address in Jan if possible.
 
pocco said:
Source?

He's been given a quarter of a billion pounds and three years. I think we're expecting a bit more than that.
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A source saying he'll only be here three years? He said himself that that was the plan: "Normally I shall leave after next year but what is normal in our football world you never know. I promised my wife I would go to our paradise [in Portugal]. It will be very hard to deny her that promise. It shall be very hard to my wife." Also: "The board of Manchester United have given me three years for that objective (winning the title)".

So, the board gives him a three year contract, tells him he has three years to win the title and he says he intends to retire in three years. That all points to a short term, three year stint as manager. At which point you have to ask why you'd judge him on anything beyond those short term aims.
 
Baxter said:
He's lucky he came after Moyes. If he'd been after Fergie he'd be long gone.
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Well yeah, there's a difference between taking over a title winning side and taking over a side that finished 7th. Expectations are quite rightly different.

Anyway, he finished 4th in his first season and is currently two points off first in his second season. That would have been more than enough to keep the job if he'd succeeded SAF. It's also why he isn't even remotely close to being replaced now.
 
Hes spent so much and the football is dire, think its better if he goes in the summer, as a new manager will want to bring in his own players that he wants, I really dont trust him with money hes spent way too much

I really think hes nothing special, he was lucky he inherited some of the best teams in the world, bursting with world class players, ie Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, even the World Cup with Holland, alot of it was due to the individual brilliance of Robben
 
roykeane19 said:
Hes spent so much and the football is dire, think its better if he goes in the summer, as a new manager will want to bring in his own players that he wants, I really dont trust him with money hes spent way too much

I really think hes nothing special, he was lucky he inherited some of the best teams in the world, bursting with world class players, ie Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, even the World Cup with Holland, alot of it was due to the individual brilliance of Robben
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This is exactly what I think when I debate Guardiola taking over... and he's someone who everyone seems to want. It'd be interesting to see how well this squad would play under him.
 
Some of you are going so OTT, how we played today isn't the same way we've been playing weekin/weekout, bringing on rooney killed the game.

That said LVG continuing to play rooney is doing him no favours.
 
roykeane19 said:
Hes spent so much and the football is dire, think its better if he goes in the summer, as a new manager will want to bring in his own players that he wants, I really dont trust him with money hes spent way too much

I really think hes nothing special, he was lucky he inherited some of the best teams in the world, bursting with world class players, ie Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, even the World Cup with Holland, alot of it was due to the individual brilliance of Robben
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No manager of a top club should ever inherit an ordinary untalented squad with a limited number of world class players.
 
Brophs said:
This isn't so much a criticism as an observation but the fact we had to play a close to first choice defence tonight isn't a great sign for the squad depth we have in defensive positions, particularly when you consider that Ashley Young was our one defensive substitution. Obviously Shaw's injury came out of the blue but even allowing for he and McNair being fit I think we're short a reliable defender who could come in for a game like this and give Smalling the night off. That's something I'd like to see LVG address in Jan if possible.
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We haven't got enough depth in most areas; the only place we're probably fine is central midfield. Overhauling a squad takes a few years, and it's worth remembering that we didn't really start until after Moyes was gone, so we lost a whole year there. I don't think we'll have a truly complete squad until Van Gaal's about to leave, but the signings he's made have been in the right direction.
 
Shocks happen in the cup. It can and will happen to every team. And no, I'm no Van Gaal defender. I'd happily see him leave next summer, but I don't think losing a Capital One Cup tie, with a weakened team, is something to heavily criticise him for.
 
.Rossi said:
Last 6 games in all comps

City - 96 shots - 20 goals
Arsenal - 86 shots - 12 goals
West Ham - 93 shots - 12 goals
United - 60 shots - 6 goals
Leicester - 103 shots - 10 goals
Spurs - 82 shots - 13 goals
Palace - 86 shots - 9 goals
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Shocking stats. Inexcusable really after the $$$ we've spent.
 
Hopefully the last two games, makes him turn it around tactically. He seems to do that after losses like this. Unfortunately our balance is to much focused towards being organised and keeping the ball, the players need to be a bit looser and take more risks.
 
"We have to solve this problem. We have to start finishing chances," he told reporters. "We also had more chances than our opponents against Manchester City, but you have to finish them. We now created more than against City, but you have to score.

"We had a lot of players who could have scored, but they did not do it. It is not just one player and that is a little bit frustrating.

"We are out of the League Cup, so we are all disappointed. We were really close and it is very disappointing to lose here. I am pleased with the performance of some of my players, but I am disappointed with others.
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Why are people still going on about the money that has been spent as though its 1998 and £250m is an instant ticket to success?

We are living in an age where Raheem Sterling cost £50m and an untested uncapped 19yo costs £50m

Of the squad LvG inherited about 4 were worth perservering with, the other 19 needed to be replaced. It's a mircale we have gone from 7th to 3rd with "just" £250m because i cant think of a single pound van Gaal has spent which hasn't improved us in some way
 
Van Gaal's moaning about missing chances really does ring hollow. All the stats show that one of the most notable features of our season has been our efficiency in front of goal. That recent run of 3 nils were all games where we created barely a handful of chances. Last night was just a reversion to the norm.
 
tbh lvg has brought this rage on himself, even if it is excess.

Martial was at 9 and united were scoring goals and looked so much more threatful, lvg decided to force him wide for rooney and we've looked shite since.
 
championo said:
Do the players like to play for him? Those penalties were the most atrocious penalties I have ever seen from United.
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The Sunderland ones in 14' were as bad if not worse.
 
With him moaning about playing games over the Xmas period and saying that players are in the red.It will indeed be an interesting period.
 
3rdCarter said:
tbh lvg has brought this rage on himself, even if it is excess.

Martial was at 9 and united were scoring goals and looked so much more threatful, lvg decided to force him wide for rooney and we've looked shite since.
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What games are you talking about? Where we more convincing in those games than we were against, say, Everton?
 
Drifter said:
With him moaning about playing games over the Xmas period and saying that players are in the red.It will indeed be an interesting period.
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Yeah I cannot imagine it will help us that he is moaning about the fixtures this far in advance.

The Squad will be stretched to its limits

To think that Fergie sent Ronaldo off on xmas holidays once or twice when he was a teenager, poor ol Martial will probably have to play every single minute of every game
 
3rdCarter said:
Some of you are going so OTT, how we played today isn't the same way we've been playing weekin/weekout, bringing on rooney killed the game.

That said LVG continuing to play rooney is doing him no favours.
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Wut? We have played tumescent since he came, Last night was ANOTHER prime example. Yes, bringing on Rooney did kill the game, and again highlighted his reliance on him, when really he shouldn't be anywhere near the pitch based on this seasons form.

I'm absolutely sick of him, He can go at the end of the season, or sooner for all I care. The only problem is the inevitable Giggs appointment which will drag this club down worse than Moyes IMO.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
What games are you talking about? Where we more convincing in those games than we were against, say, Everton?
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Psv, southampton, wolfsburg. Martial is our biggest threat so you've got to have him in the middle where he can cause real problems.

You can give up now because i don't think we are bad as you are trying to make out and yesterday wasn't the norm. We have more wins against teams at OT then shitty draws.
 
3rdCarter said:
Psv, southampton, wolfsburg. Martial is our biggest threat so you've got to have him in the middle where he can cause real problems.

You can give up now because i don't think we are bad as you are trying to make out and yesterday wasn't the norm. We have more wins against teams at OT then shitty draws.
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If you look at each game individually you are correct (And I have been guilty of this at times this season). We have been knocked out of the league cup in far worse fashion than last night in plenty of other seasons. Even when you look at the league table and the CL table things look pretty good


But if you look at everything collectively all season and last season there is some real fundamental issues with the squad and how we are set up to play.
 
Kraftwerker said:
Never throw your players under a bus in public.

Tear strips out of them behind closed doors sure.
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It's when you name players it becomes a problem. I don't want him to do that. However don't sugar coat and say we played well. We didn't. If the players think that performance was acceptable we are in trouble.
 
Ryan7 said:
Shocks happen in the cup. It can and will happen to every team. And no, I'm no Van Gaal defender. I'd happily see him leave next summer, but I don't think losing a Capital One Cup tie, with a weakened team, is something to heavily criticise him for.
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Problem is that that weakened team are our backups when injuries hit. You are right cup shocks do happen but this was an opportunity and we would have had a home draw again. He's wasted the chance.
 
3rdCarter said:
Psv, southampton, wolfsburg. Martial is our biggest threat so you've got to have him in the middle where he can cause real problems.

You can give up now because i don't think we are bad as you are trying to make out and yesterday wasn't the norm. We have more wins against teams at OT then shitty draws.
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Kind of proves my point tbh. In all three of those games we had the same shitty first half performance that has plagued us this season and caused us to be humiliated by Arsenal. Different line-up. Same problems.
 
Ryan7 said:
Shocks happen in the cup. It can and will happen to every team. And no, I'm no Van Gaal defender. I'd happily see him leave next summer, but I don't think losing a Capital One Cup tie, with a weakened team, is something to heavily criticise him for.
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Why do you think its based on just this game. Its shite on a stick football every week. Not a knee jerk reaction to last night.
 
I think he has got 2 more months to save his job. If its the same 1 step forward 2 steps back philosophy, I am done with him. Get a new manager in January and start working towards the next season. Last season,after the FA cup loss, I gave up on him but we got better towards the end. In the same way, after last night, I am done with him, at this rate, I would take Mou, and I HATE HIM...........
 
My biggest worry about his system is we never go out to shock teams.

We're never going at teams full pace like Arsenal did.

Hence we're going to have a so much more difficult time breaking teams down, and when our slow, labored style of play doesn't succeed, other teams will gain confidence and go at us.

For all our chances last night, let's not forget Boro had three or four absolutely huge ones that should have been finished.
 
Someone made the point yesterday that we've had two goalless draws against teams that have basically parked the bus. If you look at our next few matches, we'll probably be facing the same issue. Hopefully LvG can sort this out otherwise we're in for an annoying few weeks.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Kind of proves my point tbh. In all three of those games we had the same shitty first half performance that has plagued us this season and caused us to be humiliated by Arsenal. Different line-up. Same problems.
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Against Wolsburg we were great in the first half. It was a classic, end to end CL performance with Mata and Martial creating several chances (squandered by Memphis and Rooney)..

Here are some highlights to refresh your memory.
http://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/2015/09/30/manchester-united-vs-wolfsburg-highlights-full-match/
 
I've been a big LvG fan from the moment he took over but I'm starting to lose faith. 0-0 against City is fair enough, they played for the draw, it happens. But 0-0 against Boro after 120 minutes while City are spanking 5 past Crystal Palace, with a 17 year old coming on and scoring, and a 19 year old running the show up top... that should be us.

We're actually boring under LvG. It's painful to watch.
 
Let me put it like this: I'm not calling for him to be sacked, but if he left in the summer I wouldn't be bothered in the slightest.

Which I guess is a pretty damning indictment of his tenure so far.
 
Some people are overreacting, if the ref gave that obvious handball and Martial & Fellaini took their chances it would be a completely different mood in here.

I've said many times before but this whole squad is going through a major rebuild, there's only a handful of players left since our last title winning season. And if you look at our situation this time last year or the year before we have improved. We need some stability and LVG is providing that, saying that i would expect him to atleast have a go at the title next season.
 
2mufc0 said:
Some people are overreacting, if the ref gave that obvious handball and Martial & Fellaini took their chances it would be a completely different mood in here.

I've said many times before but this whole squad is going through a major rebuild, there's only a handful of players left since our last title winning season. And if you look at our situation this time last year or the year before we have improved. We need some stability and LVG is providing that, saying that i would expect him to atleast have a go at the title next season.
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The depressing thing is that this is exactly what Bayern went through with him in his second season. Ask @Balu or @Blackwidow.

And in Germany there's not any real competitors for the title. If Bayern has a season on par, they will win it. In England there's three other sides that have a feasible chance to compete with United. I just can't see this ending well for us.
 
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