06 Nov 2015 19:25:03
Just read LVG's comments about saying the fans can boo him and not the players. I guess he is trying to take responsibility, but also comes across as Typical LVG with a degree of arrogance.
He should be very careful as taking the fans on and in some ways challenging them might be a very naive managerial decision.
06 Nov 2015 19:53:13
Can a double positive form a negative?
"Yeah, Right"
06 Nov 2015 19:55:41
You took that as 'taking on the fans'? I guess everyone sees things how they want to.
I always think it's a great thing when managers take the blame, all the great managers have done it at least once in their respective careers. In the same interview he said he has to respect the fans opinion, and that the team is playing for the fans. One thing he doesn't do is undermine the fans.
06 Nov 2015 20:12:49
Ay3, there is a difference in which things come across. If he says it in a way like don't blame the players blame me then fine in a simple way, but he says it in a rather cocky way in my view.
Plus with lingard coming out saying he told the players to ignore the fans it says to me in public he loves the fans but in private he couldn't care less about them.
06 Nov 2015 20:28:46
Have we now reached the stage where no matter what the man does or says it will be turned into something negative.
06 Nov 2015 20:29:36
Ay3
I watched the interview and agree with FZZ about how the says it and to me it comes across quite arrogant. Anyway he is making a rod for his own back as they will boo him to heavens if we perform poorly and his tactics and selections are again questionable.
I am not having a go at him and just an observation and don't understand why he even went there and there is better way to handle things. Screwing around with the fans and basically being dismissive is stupid if you ask me.
06 Nov 2015 20:32:42
I see where you're coming from FZZ, but to me it makes sense. He tells lingard 'ignore the fans, keep playing your game and be patient for the right time' and then says in the post match press conference that the criticism of fans is never unfair, but that they should criticise him and not the players.
To me it seems he is trying to protect the players and take away any pressure they are getting from the fans to 'attack, attack, attack' and so on. This is backed up by him saying both these things. Not to say that our displays aren't boring or too slow at times, I just think that he is doing all he can to protect the players rather than take on the fans, if that makes sense.
06 Nov 2015 20:58:20
Yet he was saying the fans are entertained the other day because the stadium is full. I just wish he would shut up with his contradictions. People will always defend him and attack him because that is the type of guy he is - divisive.
He makes me cringe.
06 Nov 2015 21:17:31
I agree with that beast, he is so hard to read but easy to figure out, if that makes any sense :-)
06 Nov 2015 22:03:57
Let's be honest when the fans booed the substation on Tuesday, or when they chant attack attack attack, or sing about wanting to attack, nobody thinks that it's directed at the players. Van Gaal knows that, and so do the players.
As I said last week, he caused the backlash by using the supporters to score points against the press. Now that they are vocally letting him know that they aren't happy with what they're seeing, he's trying to silence supporters by falsely claiming that they're upsetting the players.
06 Nov 2015 22:11:07
Think a lot of you are trying to read too much into everything he says, take it all with a pinch of salt.
06 Nov 2015 22:14:33
I'm pretty sure that when LVG told lingard to ignore the fans he meant 'don't let the boos get to you' as they got booed off at half time on Tuesday. Surely ignoring the boos was important so it didn't get to the players.
He didn't mean forget about the fans, just don't let the boos make you play worse. Maybe lingard needs to learn that everything you say to the press gets twisted by some into an LVG bash so just not saying anything would be better.
07 Nov 2015 00:04:30
Who knows how this will end, could be Van Gaal is gone by Christmas, but one thing I like about him is he believes in what he believes in regardless of fans and regardless of what the likes of Scholes say and that's what's needed to be a United manager. If Sky and BT Sport and the Champions league and Social media etc. had been around in Fergie's early days he would have been gone halfway through his 2nd full season and we wouldn't have had all the great years we had.
I'm fed up of listening to ex players, coaches etc. drone on about how it's not like it was in Fergie's time. That's life, that's football, move on.
07 Nov 2015 08:00:28
You make an excellent point. We are in danger of becoming Liverpool if we are not already there harping back to the glory years albeit ours are more recent. Granted, we all love and respect the legends and Class of 92 as its called, but they and Fergie have retired and tikes move on. Our football is a little too pragmatic at times, but we are doing well without ripping up any trees. I think we are almost there.
07 Nov 2015 09:54:29
I just watched the interview and thought he was trying to take the heat off the players. Reading into it a bit too much maybe guys?
07 Nov 2015 11:33:19
I actually think lvg isn't the brightest. I've spoken to him many times and I know a lot of the Dutch living out in Portugal who know him well, think the same way. In addition, he's very arrogant. He treats most of the staff here with disdain which is not pleasant.
With regards Bilko's point which is an interesting point, he says lvg doesn't change for anyone and that he believes he's right. All I can say, is look around the world these days, a lot of people believing their views are right and the world is in turmoil. So just because you believe your view is right it doesn't mean it is right!
07 Nov 2015 13:01:28
Schmidfoeld,
I remember David Moyes being afraid to take RVP off because he was worried about how the fans would react . I want someone who'll make the decision because he believes it's the right thing to do, not because of what the fans think . If he doesn't get the results he'll pay the price but at least it'll be on his terms and not from trying to pander to pundits, fans etc .