Mails: LVG has done what was needed
You know what to do – watch Manchester United and e-mail us your views at theeditor@football365.com
United fan mail
Well where do I start? Slow, turgid, idea less basically rubbish, Louis your philosophy is stifling our most creative players, when a side rock up to defend deep and hit you on the break you don’t leave your most creative player on the bench. As soon as I saw Fellaini warming up I lost the will to live, half an hour to go we resorted to lumping it to the lump, depressing especially when said lump couldn’t hold on to the ball for love nor money. The Philosophy isn’t working LvG and it is alienating the fans, sort it and sort it quick, what should of been a routine home victory securing Champions League qualification turned into a footballing version of Chinese water torture now leaving us on the brink of elimination, not good enough.
Paul Murphy, Manchester
Watching United last night – I couldn’t help but feel as though I was witnessing Van Gaal being tasked with opening a tin of beans on Celebrity Masterchef
I knew it was going to be an evening of painful viewing upon noticing that Van Gaal had opted to use a once sharp but now completely blunt knife to get the job done, indeed, things only became worse when he dropped the blunt knife back into midfield and started desperately smashing the tin with a rock out of pure frustration as precious minutes ebbed away.
On the 85th minute Louis finally located the tin opener only to find that regrettably he had ran out of time.
The judges agreed that his decision making had been dubious at best and that he was lucky to remain in the competition.
Joe, MUFC
– On a serious note how did the commentators not connect the “lack of fluency” from United in the second half coinciding with the exact moment Schweinsteiger was withdrawn? A frustrating evening of seemingly poor selection decisions but I think the majority of United fans will ultimately judge LVG based on A: our success or failure to qualify from the group and B: if we can sustain a title challenge.
Blame United, not Van Gaal
After subjecting myself to yet another dreary and frustrating night of watching Man United, I naturally began to curse Van Gaal each time the ball was unsuccessfully lumped up to Fellaini to result in a free kick to PSV.
However, maybe it isn’t Van Gaal to blame.
Moyes was appointed with little thought other than “he’s done a good job at Everton”. I would love to know what the job description that Van Gaal applied for was… as I think this is where the fault is. If the job description looked something like this, then you cannot argue that Van Gaal has not achieved almost everything within 18 months:
- Guide club back into Champions League football within one season. *Tick*
- Introduce young United players and inbed them into the first team squad. *Tick* (Blackett, McNair, Wilson, Lingard)
- Shift out the dead wood that Ferguson/Moyes perservered with. *Tick* (Anderson, Nani, Januzaj, Hernandez, Macheda, Buttner, Bebe, Kagawa, Welbeck, Fletcher, Zaha, Rafael, Evans, Van Persie, Cleverley)
- Turn United’s woeful defence into a considerable force. *Tick* – Achieved, but United play every game these days with 6 defenders.
- Steady the “United ship”, allowing the club to become the most profitable football team in history. *Tick*
My belief is that there was never a conversation between the United hierarchy and the new manager to stipulate the following, possibly most important job description of any past and future Manchester United manager:
- Do not play a style of football that makes your fans prefer to switch over to “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here” at 9pm with the Mrs on Champions League night.
Next time, can the United fans be included in the interview process please?
While remembering that United aren’t out of the competition (yet – but we could still top the group!), some of the reactions (including mine) might be slightly over the top today. However, at times like these, I wonder what Giggs could get out of United if he had some quality wingers at his disposal *cough* Di Maria *cough*
Matt L
Arsenal should sign a Suarez
Trying to second guess Arsenal’s transfer plans is impossible. But having read the Rob.A email about how Arsenal can’t afford injuries to anybody else it got me thinking about January, surely we are going to sign somebody in January? The problem is, Arsenal always conduct their business very quietly and aren’t known for overt fawning of players from other clubs, so I have no idea who.
What I think we need is a Suarez from Ajax type deal. We need one player who has somehow slipped through the net from the big clubs. Suarez signed for Liverpool for 22million on the back of 49 goals in 48 games in one season. How did the scouts not notice his talent? He was 24 years old by then. Looking back, how did Liverpool get him? Nobody else took a gamble (to be fair, he had already bitten one player).
But Wenger needs a player a little rough around the edges that he can mould him into a world class attacker or forward like Liverpool did with King Luis. Take a gamble, Arsene.
Strevs, AFC, Canada. (I hate when you forget to close the parenthesis…
Don’t forget about Jack
Dear MC,
Nice work as usual with your list of midfielders that Arsenal should look at in Jan to stand in for the injured Coquelin – particularly the inclusion of Granit Xhaka (and here was me thinking Swiss players were all rubbish, and that Switzerland were “minnows”, but I digress.)
I can’t help but think however that there is one player that you didn’t include, who is the single most likely candidate for the role – Jack Wilshere.
I mean, surely the stage is set perfectly for him to return from injury shortly after Christmas and be “just like a new signing”?
Terry Hall, Switzerland
Being: Arsenal
Mike, LFC , Dubai raises a question that I (as a Chelsea fan) have been thinking about.
Last season Chelsea finished the season playing a style of football that most other teams supporters thought was dull, and being quite honest so did I, BUT we won the League, so it was a means to an end. I accepted this style of football, as I expected it to enable us to win the Premier League Title. (forgetting the argument that defending well is a vital part of winning – am talking purely in aesthetics here)
However this season, I have a different take. Chelsea are not going to win the league, so I am now wanting us to throw caution to the wind and just go out there and play. I want to see us attacking and creating chances and if we let 1 or 2 in and lose the odd game, that we may well have won last season (by being ‘compact’) then so be it. At least it’ll be fun to watch.
I’d take ‘being Arsenal’ for 1-2 seasons and enjoy what we see out on the pitch. However, I have the feeling that I’d soon tire of ‘being Arsenal’, when in 2019 we haven’t won the League for 4 years (or come close)
I guess (assumption here….) that perhaps Arsenal fans may well accept, ‘Being Chelsea 14-15’, for 1 season and winning the Title, but then would want to revert to being Arsenal and enjoying the football they pay handsomely to watch each week.
I guess if depends on whether the boring / awful / dull football your team is playing, results in trophies or not. If UTD fail to win anything this season, then quite rightly the method will be questioned, but should they win the League and Cup, then I am sure most UTD fans will start to care far less about their style.
So Mike – winning badly is great, when it brings Trophies, but if it doesn’t then losing well is far more fun.
Neil Surrey.
Roy’s right
How dare Roy Keane have the temerity to break the Defence of Wayne Rooney Act of 2003 which clearly states that no pundit shall criticise Wayne Rooney for any activities associated to football? I know he doesn’t do England coverage anymore but there are clauses for this type of thing.
Bill Handley, Gloucester
Another Arsene missed out on
Mandzukic. Yet another striker better than Giroud available in the summer for a reasonable fee.
Portrait of an icon requests
So underrated and yet so magnificent (great story off the pitch too)
Thank you
Ian