18 Apr 2016 05:43:13
I think after the results this weekend it is now more likely that we will not finish top 4. Arsenal have a very easy run in apart from the game against Man City and I don't expect them to slip up.
Liverpool look a much stronger team now, have the momentum and probably should be favorites to win the Europa League and qualify for the UCL. This season, looking at how poor and weak the top teams have been, should have been our chance to win the title. With a proper transfer strategy during the summer and a manager who played with the right attacking tactics, we probably should have won the league, certainly finished 3rd at the very least. Next year will be toigh, with Guardiola at city, a rejuvinated Chelsea with Conte (who did great with the rebuild at Juve), a Liverpool with Klopp and his signings, a Spurs oozing confidence and a top manager and who knows what Leicester will could do! We can take no chances next year and need a reliable winner at the helm.
This is the right time to evaluate Van Gaal, and I suspect the board must be doing it too. To me the question is very simple. Has he taken us significantly forward from where David Moyes left us and where we need to be? To me the answer is a big no.
1.Champions League - Moyes took us to the quarter finals, LVG has failed badly in an easy group.
2. Entertainment - Moyes' team certainly were better to watch than Van Gaal's united (and that is failing to jump over a really low bar! ) We struggled to score against Aston Villa!
3. Signings - Moyes got Fellaini and Mata and we all know he did the groundwork for Luke Shaw and Herrera. Apart from Fellaini, I actually think that's a decent record. LVG's signings have been all over the place and probably only Martial has succeeded. In his first summer he bought with the idea of a 3 at the back system in mind and then completely ditched it a few games later, which left us with square pegs to fill round holes.
4. League - Van Gaal limped into 4th place last year and has fallen further behind this year, in 2 of the worst years in terms of top teams being competitive (while having spent more money than the teams above us) . While Moyes got 7th place in the most competitive league in terms of top 4 places I have seen (Liverpool had a realistic chance of winning lads! ) . So both have been equally bad in this respect I think. The only plus is that Van Gaal has a decent record against the top 6 sides while Moyes' was awful.
5. Handling the media - Moyes was bad here, but not helped by having to succeed Sir Alex. Van Gaal has made really no sense in his press conferences most of the times and often comes off as a grumpy grandpa.
Overall - In conclusion, Van Gaal has been just as bad, if not worse than David Moyes and needs to leave. Perhaps an FA cup win would be a nice goodbye present and we can just have an amicable divorce!
{Ed001's Note - Entertainment is more like not turning up at the start of the event, than failing to clear a low bar! When even I can fall asleep during a match out of sheer boredom, then you know there is a problem as I am obsessed with football. I normally think nothing of watching 3 games a day, 7 days a week. Even the chance of seeing United lose has lost its appeal!!!}
18 Apr 2016 06:14:56
I agree Ed001. I never thought we could do worse than Moyes but we have.
I think the board will have no doubt taken notice now, especially after the defeat at Spurs and the revent press leaks seem to indicate that. Van Gaal has failed in every single objective criteria by which one should judge a manager.
What do you think about the recent press leaks after the spurs game? Finally the board moving towards sacking him? He has failed in his season objectives now for sure.
{Ed001's Note - I am not sure there were any real 'leaks' as such, just a few people who are fed up with him. Club ambassadors, such as Andy Cole, are stating very publicly that they think the players are not playing for him, but that is not a club thing, that is their personal feelings.}
18 Apr 2016 06:27:36
The recent articles seemed pretty damning really and did come from the more credible journalists. Do you think he will be gone now Ed001? I don't see any way in which letting him stay can be justified to the supporters. With the season ticket renewal coming up, I don't see people buying tickets to watch Van Gaal's United.
{Ed001's Note - don't believe anything journalists say in that respect, that just means the info was coming from someone like Andy Cole, rather than made up off the top of their head.}
18 Apr 2016 06:35:38
Okay Ed001. Thanks for clearing it up. Not getting my hopes up for him to be gone just yet!
{Ed001's Note - the pressure is certainly mounting on Woodward though, that is clear.}
18 Apr 2016 07:26:36
I don't believe stories if it's coming from one journalist but when there's a few running with the same story then I start to think there maybe something in it.
Latest reports coming from sport bild which we have 'reportedly' refused to comment on.
All we want is a bit of clarity on the subject (I don't mean from you eds) from the club.
There silence speaks volumes to me.
{Ed001's Note - bild is the Gernan equivalent of the Metro.}
18 Apr 2016 09:07:45
REDFAITH,
Not saying you are a pessimist but your predictions are that Arsenal will win every game, United will not finish top 4 and Liverpool will win the Europa League.
I think we will could just miss top 4 as we have not been good enough but I think only one of the 3 things you predict will happen.
18 Apr 2016 09:54:57
Meant to add, as yesterday proved for Arsenal, no games are easy, I had them down for winning all games except the City game, but I know they could struggle to win any game they play (except the last game against Villa. I think if United win every game now we will finish 4th, but we probably won't win every game!
18 Apr 2016 10:02:53
@ GDS2
I don't expect Arsenal to win every game. They will, in all probability drop points at City.
I don't think we will win all our remaining games either and will finish outside the top 4.
Looking at the teams left in the Europa League I think Liverpool are the favorites to win it right now with Klopp as manager and Firmino in form and Sturridge coming back.
I don't see any pessimism there. Rather a balanced realism. I even said that we could win the FA cup as a goodbye present for LVG, a cup we haven't won for a while. Not exactly pessimistic is that?
18 Apr 2016 10:20:17
Pretty sure I said 'not saying you are being pessimistic' then you right a post defending why you aren't being pessimistic, rather defensive. I agree you aren't being, you just have a different opinion to me, I think Arsenal will drop more points than the City game and I think Liverpool will get knocked out of the Europa League.
18 Apr 2016 11:09:57
Well GDS2, I hope you are right! Its just that I don't feel confident of us taking advantage of any slip ups at all.
18 Apr 2016 11:58:11
Me either mate unfortunately!
18 Apr 2016 19:29:04
Even if the club is certain that LVG will go, I think they prefer to remain quiet for two simple reasons: it can be unsettling to the squad, and can be rather undignified. Both are true with regard to Pellegrini. Why LVG has lasted this long is whole another matter.