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.
I genuinely believe the van gaal way is whats ruining attacking players.

Memphis - ruined and in bad form
Rooney - ruined and looks finished now
Di maria - ruined and shackled.
Martial - 3 in 3 as a striker, lvg's system meant he had to then start playing as a winger. Hasnt scored since.

Young - doesnt get games
Januzaj - scored and looked decent but was then shipped off.

Like seriously Van Gaal is 100% the problem. Im worried that even if we bought Griezmann and whoever else, they would all go the same way. I think its more important to sign a new manager before we go to town on new attackers. Unless we all enjoyed the Di Maria situation?
 
There is a distinct possibility that Liverpool finish above us. Nothing could save LVG if this happens. But if we appoint Giggs, this could exacerbate our situation.

It's easy to get rid of LVG. The difficult part is to find someone who could do better than him.

If even Mourinho could struggle at a rich club like Chelsea, we'll need a lot of luck to find the rignt man. Hopefully, we won't find the United equivalent of Souness.
 
Treble said:
There is a distinct possibility that Liverpool finish above us. Nothing could save LVG if this happens. But if we appoint Giggs, this could exacerbate our situation. It's easy to get rid of LVG. The difficult part is to find someone who could do better than him. If even Mourinho could struggle at a rich club like Chelsea, we'll need a lot of luck to find the rignt man. Hopefully, we won't find the United equivalent of Souness.
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The worst thing on sacking LVG and appointing Giggs is that we would stick with Rooney...every new manager does, the pressure is too high and any new manager who wouldn't would be my favourite but I think LVG won't be patient forever. He shipped out Persie, benched Memphis and Blind, needs that extra bit of courage to deal with Rooney now.

We can actually say that he's our only hope to deal with Rooney who is frankly behind 50% of our problems...
 
Despite having a tough job in steadying the ship and overhauling the squad he has been successful in this respect

He makes too many fundamental errors in terms of player selection and tactics though and with our outlay a decent manager should be playing a better standard of football

Impossible to disagree with comments like the ones Scholes made and LVG seems unable to find the balance between defence and attack

End of season I'd replace him -still think we will battle Liverpool and possibly Chelsea if they recover for 3rd/4th
 
Treble said:
There is a distinct possibility that Liverpool finish above us. Nothing could save LVG if this happens. But if we appoint Giggs, this could exacerbate our situation.

It's easy to get rid of LVG. The difficult part is to find someone who could do better than him.

If even Mourinho could struggle at a rich club like Chelsea, we'll need a lot of luck to find the rignt man. Hopefully, we won't find the United equivalent of Souness.
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We did... LVG.
 
Even if Rooney is the problem the fingers should point to LvG. He has the power to drop ineffectual players. LvG is setting up the team not to lose. Risk-free, football.
 
'Overhauling the squad' as an achievement is non-sense especially given the resources at hand. If we had continued to back Moyes even he would have overhauled the squad (thank God we didn't, since it would have driven me mad, that man was doomed to fail). The overhauling has to be credited to the club not the manager, the manager's job is to get the overhaul to work. Otherwise, it is all in vain.

I am still not decided though, because I see things once in a while which give me hope, even though I disagree with the majority of his decisions during his tenure so far
 
Sultan said:
I don't think Rooney is our biggest problem. LvG is setting up the team not to lose. Risk-free, football.
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Shouldn't be surprising though, why did we think he'd be any different at United? I've never wanted Mourinho for this very reason - can't stomach shit on a stick football.
 
We are trying to replicate what LVG did with the national team but it is not working. LVG played a secure football and had Robben in attack who could decide games on his own. The issue is we do not have such a player. Rooney is not even remotely sufficient for such tactic. This is why we are trying for players like Neymar who can take players on an decide games but currently we either have to create such a player or switch the tactics. Martial needs to lead the attack since he does not belong on the wing
 
Rake said:
We are trying to replicate what LVG did with the national team but it is not working. LVG played a secure football and had Robben in attack who could decide games on his own. The issue is we do not have such a player. Rooney is not even remotely sufficient for such tactic. This is why we are trying for players like Neymar who can take players on an decide games but currently we either have to create such a player or switch the tactics. Martial needs to lead the attack since he does not belong on the wing
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Netherlands were awful to watch at the world cup bar one game, to be fair.
 
sajeev said:
The manager's job is to get the overhaul to work. Otherwise, it is all in vain.
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That's a very good point, Sajeev.
 
Spoony said:
Netherlands were awful to watch at the world cup bar one game, to be fair.
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Correct, looking at our style it is just like watching the NL squad playing which is why we might have some success in the CL but we will most likely not win the EPL
 
Rake said:
Correct, looking at our style it is just like watching the NL squad playing which is why we might have some success in the CL but we will most likely not win the EPL
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Netherlands had Robben(which I think you pointed out), we lack that kind of spark. Although it doesn't help when your most exciting player is shoved to the wings...
 
Lewis.no.9 said:
I genuinely believe the van gaal way is whats ruining attacking players.

Memphis - ruined and in bad form
Rooney - ruined and looks finished now
Di maria - ruined and shackled.
Martial - 3 in 3 as a striker, lvg's system meant he had to then start playing as a winger. Hasnt scored since.

Young - doesnt get games
Januzaj - scored and looked decent but was then shipped off.

Like seriously Van Gaal is 100% the problem. Im worried that even if we bought Griezmann and whoever else, they would all go the same way. I think its more important to sign a new manager before we go to town on new attackers. Unless we all enjoyed the Di Maria situation?
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The system employed by LvG is definitely shackling the flair players.
 
Regardless of the 'rebuilding' LVG has done & other than his apparent lack of decent or changable tactics (other than forced by injury to go 4-3-3 last season), one of my main concerns is his ability to take a positive player and sap the creativity out of them.
Januzaj was a bright light (granted in an otherwise very gloomy season) under Moyes. We all had high hopes for him. LVG brought in his sideways back ways brand & not Adnan has a front row seat at Dortmund.
Hererra was much more attacking last season and whereas in my opinion he's still a great attacking mid, it's almost like he's being shackled.
Di Maria, yes, he's a rat & a turncoat, but during his first 5/6 games last year, I genuinely believe I'd saw the first player to show such skill and class at OT since Ronaldo left. Long before his 'personal problems', however, LVG had him out of position and neutralised.
Mata, twice player of the year for Chelsea and again, I still think he's a great creative outlet in midfield, he looks like he's being contained due to the 'philosophy'.
Most recently and more worryingly, Martial. Exiled to the wing to accommodate the ball & chain & only moved centrally late in games in an attempt to change it up when all else seems lost is completely unfair on the lad. To have the audacity to come out and say he doesn't know his best position is an insult to all involved.

The only saving grace is that LVG did look like he was genuinely under pressure yesterday, so I'm clinging to the futile hope that he'll change up his formation & drop Rooney and have an attacking bench instead of a row of defenders and a tall lad with bad hair. Problem is, I'm clinging to the futile hope that I'll win the lottery and not have to go to work on Monday.... But that's not likely to happen either.
 
Spoony said:
We did... LVG.
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Souness was a legend for Liverpool. LVG hasn't played for United. Giggs fits the profile better, I'm afraid.

Hopefully I'm wrong but there is a danger to replace LVG with a worse manager.
 
Treble said:
Souness was a legend for Liverpool. LVG hasn't played for United. Giggs fits the profile better, I'm afraid.

Hopefully I'm wrong but there is a danger to replace LVG with a worse manager.
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Souness gutted Liverpool similarly to the way LVG has at United. Which is why I've compared them.
 
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Treble said:
Souness was a legend for Liverpool. LVG hasn't played for United. Giggs fits the profile better, I'm afraid.

Hopefully I'm wrong but there is a danger to replace LVG with a worse manager.
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According to the Sunday Mirror United are going to freeze Paul Scholes out from OT. That it will scupper any chance of Scholes becoming a coach if god help us Giggs become manager. They do not like the stuff he has been coming out with in the media. Likely shit stirring to make people take sides Scholes v. LvG.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
According to the Sunday Mirror United are going to freeze Paul Scholes out from OT. That it will scupper any chance of Scholes becoming a coach if god help us Giggs become manager. They do not like the stuff he has been coming out with in the media. Likely shit stirring to make people take sides Scholes v. LvG.
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LVG doesn't want Scholes to give his opinion. I suspect Scholes isn't too fussed what the great dictator thinks.
 
Spoony said:
LVG doesn't want Scholes to give his opinion. I suspect Scholes isn't too fussed what the great dictator thinks.
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I agree. It's just that I'd imagine if they did give the job to Giggs he would want Scholes as part of his team. Maybe this is a way of Giggs not taking the job, that he cannot have his own coaching staff.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
According to the Sunday Mirror United are going to freeze Paul Scholes out from OT. That it will scupper any chance of Scholes becoming a coach if god help us Giggs become manager. They do not like the stuff he has been coming out with in the media. Likely shit stirring to make people take sides Scholes v. LvG.
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If that's true then God help us. The club has taken every step to undo everything that SAF put in place. They seem to have forgotten what got us where we are. This really isn't the same club anymore.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
According to the Sunday Mirror United are going to freeze Paul Scholes out from OT. That it will scupper any chance of Scholes becoming a coach if god help us Giggs become manager. They do not like the stuff he has been coming out with in the media. Likely shit stirring to make people take sides Scholes v. LvG.
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I think that's an overreaction from United unless they perceive Scholes's criticism agenda based, then it'd be fair enough I reckon. The man is entitled air his opinion. He's not working for an in house channel, so doesn't need to pull the wool over people's eyes.
 
sajeev said:
'Overhauling the squad' as an achievement is non-sense especially given the resources at hand. If we had continued to back Moyes even he would have overhauled the squad (thank God we didn't, since it would have driven me mad, that man was doomed to fail). The overhauling has to be credited to the club not the manager, the manager's job is to get the overhaul to work. Otherwise, it is all in vain.

I am still not decided though, because I see things once in a while which give me hope, even though I disagree with the majority of his decisions during his tenure so far
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Good points. Serenading him with epithets like "Laying the foundation" is preposterous. Does anyone credit Mark Hughes or Mancini for "laying the foundations" at City? They spent a huge chunk of money and bought some players, and that is what Van Gaal has done too. It's totally disrespectful towards next manager to credit his success to the previous guy who "spent some money and bought some players".

And actually, that hasn't been done right either. Let's look at this "overhaul":

Season 1:
  • Angel di Maria - Bought and sold
  • Falcao - Loaned and let go
  • Blind - Squad player at best
  • Herrera - 18 months down the line and he is constantly in and out of the team. Is he a nailed starter yet?
  • Shaw - Excellent purchase. Unfortunate injury
  • Rojo - Looked terrible at CB last season. Done decently this season at LB. Jury still out
  • Valdes - WTF?
Shaw is the only one who you can really say looked a legitimate United starter out of those seven. 3 have already been discarded. 2 look like squad players at best.

Season 2:
  • Romero: Looks dopey most of the time. Poor man's Barthez.
  • Schneiderlin: Looks good.
  • Schweinsteiger: Happy enough with the purchase, but it's easy to see why Bayern let him go. Is he for the future? His contracts ends same time as VG's.
  • Depay: He certainly doesn't look like the "best youngster in Europe" as was proclaimed in the summer on here. VG's statement on him, "We cannot prejudge if a player will fit our philosophy". What? You spent 25m on him, you were not sure if he was philosophy ready or can be molded into your philosophy? What are you doing?
  • Darmian: Too early to pass a judgement.
  • Martial: Thank God for him.
It's amazing that we are in the third season since Fergie's retirement and still haven't bought a decent CB yet.

De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Jones (when fit), Rooney & Mata - Those 6 players were bought before VG arrived, and still feature predominantly in our starting XI. Where is this great rebuild? The only thing that has been "overhauled" is our central midfield, which still can use a decent passer; other than that, our attack and central defense are still looking for answers. And that's after 250m spent.

I doubt that we can credit him with the "overhaul" either.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
According to the Sunday Mirror United are going to freeze Paul Scholes out from OT. That it will scupper any chance of Scholes becoming a coach if god help us Giggs become manager. They do not like the stuff he has been coming out with in the media. Likely shit stirring to make people take sides Scholes v. LvG.
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Well that would be a rather cnuty thing to do. Something that could easily backfire. You can't expect people not have an opinion.
 
If the story is true, then it could be that LVG feels he's being undermined by proxy.
 
Spoony said:
Souness gutted Liverpool similar to the way LVG has at United. Which is why I've compared them.
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I have been shot down multiple time for expressing the same fear. It's eerily similar. Hopefully, the filled coffers will get us by.
 
He's very close to reaching the point of no return for me. I'm giving him another month max before I start calling for his sacking. His decision making has been quite frankly pathetic.
 
Insanity said:
Good points. Serenading him with epithets like "Laying the foundation" is preposterous. Does anyone credit Mark Hughes or Mancini for "laying the foundations" at City? They spent a huge chunk of money and bought some players, and that is what Van Gaal has done too. It's totally disrespectful towards next manager to credit his success to the previous guy who "spent some money and bought some players".

And actually, that hasn't been done right either. Let's look at this "overhaul":

Season 1:
  • Angel di Maria - Bought and sold
  • Falcao - Loaned and let go
  • Blind - Squad player at best
  • Herrera - 18 months down the line and he is constantly in and out of the team. Is he a nailed starter yet?
  • Shaw - Excellent purchase. Unfortunate injury
  • Rojo - Looked terrible at CB last season. Done decently this season at LB. Jury still out
  • Valdes - WTF?
Shaw is the only one who you can really say looked a legitimate United starter out of those seven. 3 have already been discarded. 2 look like squad players at best.

Season 2:
  • Romero: Looks dopey most of the time. Poor man's Barthez.
  • Schneiderlin: Looks good.
  • Schweinsteiger: Happy enough with the purchase, but it's easy to see why Bayern let him go. Is he for the future? His contracts ends same time as VG's.
  • Depay: He certainly doesn't look like the "best youngster in Europe" as was proclaimed in the summer on here. VG's statement on him, "We cannot prejudge if a player will fit our philosophy". What? You spent 25m on him, you were not sure if he was philosophy ready or can be molded into your philosophy? What are you doing?
  • Darmian: Too early to pass a judgement.
  • Martial: Thank God for him.
It's amazing that we are in the third season since Fergie's retirement and still haven't bought a decent CB yet.

De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Jones (when fit), Rooney & Mata - Those 6 players were bought before VG arrived, and still feature predominantly in our starting XI. Where is this great rebuild? The only thing that has been "overhauled" is our central midfield, which still can use a decent passer; other than that, our attack and central defense are still looking for answers. And that's after 250m spent.

I doubt that we can credit him with the "overhaul" either.
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What an absolutely glorious read. Ive been saying this for ages. Its exactly the situation and it annoys me when people give him credit where its not due.

Very well said. One of the best posts ive read on here.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
According to the Sunday Mirror United are going to freeze Paul Scholes out from OT. That it will scupper any chance of Scholes becoming a coach if god help us Giggs become manager. They do not like the stuff he has been coming out with in the media. Likely shit stirring to make people take sides Scholes v. LvG.
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Good for the club. Now freeze Giggs out too because he's not innocent in this. I don't care if anyone gets angry with me on here - irrespective of LVG's performances - Scholes and Giggs need binning off because they are not helping the situation. Let Van Gaal succeed or fail on his own - they don't need to cause all this upset because if LVG fails - his ass will be kicked out - simple as that. If they cared about the club they would approach him privately.

A lot of people here seem to be forgetting that this sort of public thrashing from ex-players is really bad for our squad - especially when the criticism is not extended to their underperforming team mate Rooney. Added to that, Giggs has a prime position of communicating with our squad - I'm afraid he might use this to undermine LVG as well. LVG needs to address his failings at the moment - but those people are only exacerbating the situation and we need to move on.
 
pocco said:
If that's true then God help us. The club has taken every step to undo everything that SAF put in place. They seem to have forgotten what got us where we are. This really isn't the same club anymore.
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Yeah it's not like we never had United Legend's fall out with the manager when Fergie was here. Oh...........

We are getting to the point where people here might as well say ''If Van Gaal doesn't do what I think he should get the sack''. We are 4 off the top of the table.
 
Sweet Square said:
Yeah it's not like we never had United Legend's fall out with the manager when Fergie was here. Oh...........

We are getting to the point where people here might as well say ''If Van Gaal doesn't do what I think he should get the sack''. We are 4 off the top of the table.
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That is what they've been saying
 
SteveJ said:
If the story is true, then it could be that LVG feels he's being undermined by proxy.
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That's all I can think, but if it is true as you say, then the only people feeding Scholes would be Giggs or Rooney you would have thought. If that has happened LvG has real problems on his hands. Papers like stirring up trouble though. You would imagine if he is there with BT on Tuesday it is all balderdash.
 
markhrad said:
I think that Rooney's poor performances will make it easier for LVG to drop him. The problem is that doing it will not automatically ensure success because we still lack creativity and if we continue to have poor results with Rooney on the bench then people will feel justified in saying that LVG is the one that should go and not Rooney. It really is complicated.
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They will be right. 3 Windows in, we have seen marginal difference, with shit loads of money to spend. If results are not coming and we still lack creativity, Maybe LVG is the one who should go and not Rooney.
 
m1y2 said:
The worst thing on sacking LVG and appointing Giggs is that we would stick with Rooney...every new manager does, the pressure is too high and any new manager who wouldn't would be my favourite but I think LVG won't be patient forever. He shipped out Persie, benched Memphis and Blind, needs that extra bit of courage to deal with Rooney now.

We can actually say that he's our only hope to deal with Rooney who is frankly behind 50% of our problems...
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Wait a few more games and the home crowd will make the decision easier for any manager by booing Rooney off.
 
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