Storyline: If we want the status of Manchester United renewed, then we’ll need to start from where Sir Alex Fergusson left. It’s time to sack Louis Van Gaal. Written by Haider Zulfiar, Pakistan
It was 19 May 2014 when the highly anticipated move was confirmed: Louis Van Gaal would become the new manager of Manchester United. Replacing David Moyes, Van Gaal was brought in for instant success. He would change the fortunes of Manchester United, we though, a team that had suffered under Moyes.
Courtesy: italkfooty.wordpress.com
Van Gaal signed a three-year contract. He widely claimed that a he had inherited a broken ManU squad. He quickly changed the club. He bought in his own coaching staff–Ryan Giggs as assistant. and Marcel Bout and Albert Stuivenburg as scout and assistant coach, respectively. Frans Hoek became a goal-keeping coach. All are Dutch except for Giggs.
Van Gaal was given freedom to invest in the transfer market and that’s exactly what he did. He spent enormous amounts on players including Herrera, Shaw, Rojo, Blind, and Falcao (on a loan-deal). The likes of Vidic, Evra, Ferdinanand and others soon departed Old Trafford.
His task was to finish in the top 4 and get the team back into the Champions League spot. He did just that with the team at one stage coming close to finishing 2nd. But throughout the season there were insignificant performances from Van Gaal’s men–more then what United was once used to–with lots of questions asked regarding ManU’s playing style and tactics. For example, players played out of position.
Even with lots of injuries, but with youth getting its chances, United’s tradition was intact during Van Gaal’s first season in charge. The team finished in the Champions League spot after a disastrous campaign under Moyes.
Courtesy: statsbomb.com
2015 summer transfer market went quite absurd with Angel Di Maria departing just after one season in United colours. Being out of favor under Van Gaal, injury, a house robbery, and a difficult life in England seemed obvious reasons of his departure. Van Persie, Chicarito, Nani, Welback and Rafael were also among the departing ends at Old Traforrd with Falcao’s loan-deal not being extended.
Among the new arrivals were Morgan Schneiderlein, Bastian Schweignsteiger, Mateo Darmain, Memphis Depay, Anthony Martial, and Sergio Romero. With three strikers departing it was assumed that a new striker would be signed, but he wasn’t. The season started with Wayne Rooney as the lone choice for no.9, which was obviously quite strange given that Rooney last played that position in 2011-12. For David De Gea it was quite a start to the season with his transfer deal to Real Madrid being broken on deadline day because of delayed paperwork.
The season’s opener went well as the team beat Spurs one nil thanks to an own-goal from Kyle Walker. But then there were some on and off results with team going from the top spot at one time to 6th. There were lots of questioning about the way United played. There was lot of possession time, probably 65-70 % with the team either losing or unable to create enough chances and scoring.
Courtesy: Twitter.com
A heavy defeat (3-0) from Arsenal was a big blow for United in the early part of the season. Then came the month of December when nothing went well. ManU buoyed out of the Champions League, and consecutive defeats from Bournemouth, Norwich City, and Stoke City, hurted United’s title credentials. Lots of fans were chanting Van Gaal’s sacking songs. In the same month Chelsea sacked Jose Mourinho after a disastrous start to the season, and there was lots of amusement and buzz around Old Trafford for they could grab Jose now.
With United being eliminated from Europa League, finishing 4th is the only way to qualify for the next year’s elite European competition, the Champions League.
With United’s faint hopes of qualifying for CL keep on living large–with week after week of horrendous results–it’s time for a change … if not for this season then for future. There’s no way we can continue living on the edge. For United’s standards its not like fighting for 4th spot is something fans are going to cherish.
It’s a high time for Van Gaal to bring success. Since his arrival he has spent above 250 millions pounds in the transfer market and, except for Martial, none of the players he bought has shown their worth. And selling Chicarito shows lack of vision. Had it not been for some youngsters performing, and David De Gea’s week after week of heroics, United would have been lurking somewhere in the bottom half of the table.
Not many players have played to the level that they should have played under Van Gaal. Wayne Rooney is a prime example. Some other players who didn’t live up to potential and got transferred were Kagawa, Van Perise, Welback, Nani, Rafael, and Chicarito. Some players did show promise under Van Gaal, including the likes of Smalling, Lingard, Martial, and De Gea.
Courtesy: telegraph.co.uk
Week after week of disappointments have led to the lack of belief among the lads. For a club that’s supposed to be fighting for title, hope keeps on looming large on some newbie (e.g., Rashford) to perform and do wonders. Also Van Gaal’s record against bottom half-table clubs comes as a shame. Defeats from Norwich City, West Brom, Stoke City, Bournemouth, and Swansea epitomize the situation.
It’s a pity to see a team being out-done by the mere philosophy of the old lad. If we want the status of this giant footballing club to be renewed we need to start again from where Sir Alex Fergusson left. We’ll have to build it again. We can’t go into every match keeping possession in our own box for 70 odd minutes and then play some lose long balls to see the game off.
If we reckoned ourselves as the real force again we’ll need to build this team around the group of lads we have with one or two reinforcements–and with the change of mind set. Jose Mourinho comes as a first priority as he has a big point to prove after his first failure in football management in Chelsea.
Perhaps Van Gaal, who has achieved almost every thing in footballing world, has lost his fire to win. And since he’s reluctant to quit, it’s time to call him off. With all the respect he’s earned in the footballing world he should be shown the door with some sort of a mutual consent.
That’s best for Manchester United.
