25 Apr 2016 16:43:42
When everybody was fit, I tell it again, I have said it before. We were first in the league at that time. Then when we had 14 injuries, or the double injuries on the full back positions, I could not solve that problem.
Lvg.
25 Apr 2016 16:59:54
What else do you expect him to say:) unfortunately they don't hand out trophies after 5 games.
25 Apr 2016 17:14:55
But I thought he'd planned to have a small squad so that young players could step in when injuries occurred?
25 Apr 2016 17:27:10
Only when it suits the van Gaal is not to blame narrative redseven.
25 Apr 2016 17:42:58
Another quote: "That’s a tricky remark of me because I have to manage players whose quality is not always what I want. But still we are here, still we are fighting for the fourth place, also we are in the final of the FA Cup. â€
The guy is seriously deluded, completely laying the blame at the players' door and making out that he's doing a top notch job in getting this shower of wasters into a cup final and close to fourth place. Must be a pleasure to work for a Mayan who'll publicly drop you in it, and is never at fault.
25 Apr 2016 18:06:36
To be fair 14 players out injured is a massive amount small squad or not. And 4/ 5 players out who cover one position would be difficult for any manager to deal with. I still feel he has under achieved, I just feel all sense has gone and everything is being twisted as LvG's fault atm. I mean it's like he put the iceberg in the sea and took the binoculars out of the crows nest on the Titanic atm.
I think many people are getting jittery that if he wins the FA cup and sneaks 4th that he'll still have a job next season. So now feel the need to twist everything around to be his fault as if the Glazers or Woodward will pop by the site and go "oh look everyone hates the man, and they have a good point, let's sack him anyway".
Also Danny I could have sworn he was Dutch. Maybe that's why he hates modern South Americans. lol.
25 Apr 2016 18:45:59
I don't think anybody on here is under the illusion that those decision makers might be swayed by a post on an obscure webpage. Even if they were to somehow come across it - they've made it quite clear that they do not care what the fans think and only care about the financial implications of their choices.
LVG can't have it both ways. He can't say that he wanted the squad to be small and then complain that it isn't big enough to deal with injuries.
25 Apr 2016 19:13:53
Shappy, last month he was boasting about bringing young players into the first team and giving them a big role, and why this was always the strategy with trimming the squad. Even last week he was talking about being brave and choosing to play young players. But now it's all about how he has been forced to rely on players who lack the sufficient quality because of injuries. These two things, however, are related. It's only when we had injuries that young players were given a chance.
So which story does van Gaal want to tell?
The one about the brave manager who placed his faith in youth?
Or the one about unlucky manager who had to play players without sufficient quality because of injuries?
As far as I can tell it's just the same old van Gaal taking credit for success and diverting blame for any failings. Obviously the players aren't blameless and have been poor this season. But these press conferences are increasingly becoming the ramblings of a deluded old man (Mayan) trying to convince himself that he shouldn't be out to pasture.
25 Apr 2016 19:17:17
Danny, he keeps coming out with corkers. Can you imagine fergie or mourinho or Pep saying that about any of their players? It's pathetic, clueless and arrogant.
25 Apr 2016 19:24:25
Shappy
We have been rubbish under him for 2 years bar a few games. Egomaniacs and dictators in history always have a justifications for everything and lay the blame elsewhere, that is just him as a person. They are blinded by their own views.
Teams have injuries in football and yes it affects your selection. we have 1 injury in Shaw at the moment but can anyone see a remarkable improvement? its the same sh. t with the occasional 30 minutes of good football in there.
People talk about him winning things but when was that and how long ago was that?
He was booted by Barcelona and Bayern in the most un-ceremonial manner and I wonder why that gets no mention. After all both are clubs of similar stature to us and both openly to this day say eh was a mistake.
A donkey would have given Xavi and Iniesta a debut as they are 2 of the finest mids that have played the game so I don't get this love fest with he gives youth a chance.
We can all be quite fickle and 3 decent results does not change that. The only reason people are more toned down is we have a slim chance for top 4, if that goes you will finally see the fan base go on a revolt and the FA cup although a nice trophy just does not cut the mustard.
Sitting around next year on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and not being involved in CL is hard to stomach for club our size given the tie and money we have invested in his philosophy over the last 24 months. The sad truth is we can't defend when we need to and can't score when we need to with the occasional surprise which is 1 in 30 games (Martials goal the other night) .
25 Apr 2016 19:41:00
Danny, isn't that what nearly every manager ever has done? Sir Alex, Pep and Mourinho have all taken credit when things go well and try and shift the blame when they go wrong.
Mourinho for example blamed the club doctor for checking and giving medical treatment to an injured player for his teams poor performance rather than their lack of fitness due to him giving them an extended holiday because he himself burnt them out the season before by winning the league with the fewest amount of players used.
Maybe we shouldn't hire Mourinho he does that thing LvG does which you hate.
That's what I mean, I'm not saying he hasn't taken credit and shift blame. But nearly every manager does it, so it seems like another senseless beating of a manager you don't like.
25 Apr 2016 19:41:18
BTW
Can anyone think of a worse time to come out and say that about the squad or players. If you are a players it really gives you confidence and wants you go out and play for this guy. Incredible arrogant and stupid statement when our season hinges on 5 games. Its all about protecting himself and laying the blame elsewhere if things go pear shaped.
Did fergie in his worse year ever say anything like this, i can't recall?
25 Apr 2016 20:10:11
As far as excuses are concerned, it would save everyone time if they were catalogued and numbered.
Post match would then go quickly.
Press "What's your view of the match"
Van Galling "Number 4"
All done and dusted.
25 Apr 2016 20:30:42
Shahram, yes we only have 1 injury atm. Has it improved our results? Yeah we have 9 wins and 2 draws out of our last 14 games. Including wins over City and Arsenal.
So yeah that's a fair old improvement, we were also top of the league before we had a massive run of injuries.
I'm not saying that LvG doesn't deserve critism, and I am of the opinion he should be sacked at the end of the season.
I just feel that some posters atm are completely unable to look at things in a non biased way, and every little thing LvG does gets twisted and used as a branch to beat him. Personally I feel it has got much worst since the improvement in the team. My opinion of that is those who hate him now have a rising fear that he could keep his job and therefore feel the need to shout out to the world just how bad they think he is.
Its clouding peoples judgement. I thought after the weekend I would come on here and people would be happy, we are in a cup final after all for f**ks sake.
But no all we get is people whinging out of their own fear that the club success might mean the manager they hate keeps his job. Its a very sad state of affairs.
25 Apr 2016 21:06:23
Shappy
I can never remember Sir Alex saying we are getting poor results and not performing because i am forced to utilise players that are not that good, which is what he said today and i don't ever remember Mourinho saying something like that either. They both would blame the pitch, ref and everything but never say the players are not good enough.
Fabregas just said in an interview that Mourinho's undoing was his total trust of the players.
I see a few wins has got you flip flopping but let's not confuse things. Moyes got blasted by everyone when he said the team needed 7 players, this guy has bought 10 at the tune of 250 and still wants a find an excuse for our shortcoming.
25 Apr 2016 21:07:44
Hate is a very strong word Shappy.
Can't speak for others. I think in fairness that he has suffered as much this year as us fans. It will have had a knock on effect on his family that needs recognition and some empathy. That does not mean I can ignore what has happened to the club on his watch nor that I should not express opinions, I have tried to do this consistently sometimes with feeling but hopefully without malice. I wish him well in retirement, but I do hope that comes very soon.
25 Apr 2016 21:46:09
Maybe not Shahram, but they made excuses for their own failings all the same.
I think LvG is just being a little too honest, and somethings with him get a little lost in translation. Although I agree blaming the players is not a great way to ensure they play their best for you.
I'm not flip flopping, I still believe that LvG has made mistakes, and I feel he should be relieved of his job for those mistakes. I just don't blame everything on him and try and be fair about it.
I have no doubt the man has done his best, he has fallen short and has had to endure dogs abuse for it. Now every little thing he said gets twisted around and used against him with no thought or context put into it.
Its just sad, and dare I say it a little "toxic".
I know people are doing it out of fear he could stay. I just feel its a shame and a little disapointed that my fellow supporters act this way.
25 Apr 2016 22:15:21
Shappy - In what context should his comments be taken? In what way is he being too honest?
These players that are not good enough are some of the same players that he was taking credit for bringing through just a week or two ago. The rest were players that he'd signed for or kept at the club.
You can be disappointed with your fellow reds all you like bud. The rest of us are disappointed with a man that refuses to take responsibility for his failings. Worse still he blames them on young players that have all done their best when placed into situations they should never have been placed in.
Can you recall just one time where LVG has taken responsibility for his poor performances over the past 2 years? He's blamed everything and everyone but himself whilst taking credit for things that are out of his control.
26 Apr 2016 06:56:04
Come on now everyone we all know we have great difficulty scoring because we were playing into a strong head wind. Both halves!
26 Apr 2016 17:19:41
Shappy
The difference between him and Fergie is that Fergie would get guys like Park who was so average go out and put in a worldly performance because he instilled that believe in them.
This guy is far from honest but just an arrogant pr. and talks down to people and that comes from an attitude that he knows best and no one is worthy to question him.
Part of being a great manager is how you manage players and treat them. One of his biggest short comings has been our transfer dealings, which for me have been disastrous by any measure.
There are quite a few managers who have spent a fraction of what we have spent across europe and those teams are performing at a higher level, that to me is the single biggest issue and that he is not good enough to manage United.