It’s been a bad month for United and it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, in which a rare forward pass is a highlight.
January has been a fairly dismal month for Manchester United, and heading into this weekend’s fixture against Leicester City it could be about to get worse. It has reached the point that for United to win or lose there is little difference in emotion, as it would seem Louis Van Gaal has coached whatever little life was left after Moyes’ departure out of the side.
It’s all about winning a statement I always thought was true until now, of course winning is great, but there comes a point in football can produce something magical and that’s why we all love it whether it be a flash of genius, a 40 yard screamer or a last minute winner. However, at United this is no longer the case, we see ball retention which is great if you know how to use the ball. A pass forward seems like a cause to celebrate.
Take Adnan Januzaj as an example, the man of the season under Moyes (with the exception of the Spanish God that is De Gea) has become a forlorn figure at Old Trafford and has been banished to the Under 21s just so he can get some game time (or maybe he took a man on in training LVG wouldn’t of liked that). This isn’t an isolated case, look at Di Maria, Falcao it seems Van Gaal just can’t get the best from his players; unless you’re Ashley Young.
Louis Van Gaal has a philosophy, but nobody knows what it is (unless boring everyone to death is his objective), so we have reached an impasse do United supporters accept a sleepwalk into fourth which is likely but risky, does Van Gaal decide to use the assets he has or do we bite the bullet on the Dutchman? In any case the Theater of Dreams has become the Theater of Misery.
So, as you will most certainly hear at Old Trafford tomorrow; “Attack, Attack, Attack! Attack! Attack!!!”
How do you feel about United and Van Gaal? Will he get it right, do you care about the football if we are getting the results? Let us know @RedMancunian or tweet me @JustinTaylor96, Have your say!
One reply on “Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack!”
Presumably possession football is supposed to be a means to an end; the end being creating chances and scoring goals. Under Van Gaal, possession has become both the means and the end. There is no outcome other than possession.
Two things are fundamental to a manager’s role:
1) to get the best out of the individual players,
2) to play to the collective team’s strengths.
Van Gaal has failed to do either. United has probably the best group of attacking players in the League in Di Maria, Van Persie, Januzaj, Falcao, Rooney, Mata, Wilson and Herrera. So does Van Gaal play to this obvious strength? No, he messes about with a back five and plays keep-ball forty yards from the opponents’ goal. Not one of those attacking players is performing at his best and regardless of the combination, goals are at a premium. No goals at League Two Cambridge and no shots on target at home to Southampton tells a sorry tale.