Senior members of the Manchester United squad are reportedly getting bored of the training methods Louis van Gaal follows.
Former United stars Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen all have criticised the Dutch manager for his typical possession-based approach at Old Trafford.
And now the training sessions at the Red Devil’s Carrington headquarters also seems to be facing criticism from the members of his squad.
A source closer to the club told The Sun “They are unhappy; it is just like Groundhog Day at the club. No matter whether they win, lose or draw nothing changes.
“Every Monday they know what they are doing, every Tuesday they know what they are doing, every day they know what they are doing. There is nothing different or exciting to look forward to and it is getting some players down.”
After the match against Leicester City critics slapped van Gaal with hordes of negative comments like, Watching this Manchester United squad is enough to make you cry.
And the Dutch boss also been accused of stealing all the fun out of the game and don’t have the power to get the best out of his creative players like former playmaker Angel Di Maria. Despite leading United to the third position in Premier League table van Gaal has been heavily criticised for his strategies and style of football. Supporters too have voiced their frustration and in most of the home matches shouted ‘attack, attack, attack’ this season.
However, van Gaal is facing another blistering attack now, this time from Dutch legend Willem van Hanegem, a member of the Netherlands team who reached the 1974 World Cup final.
He showed his frustration by saying: “PSV definitely got a good result against Manchester United (last week, 0-0) although we do not have to exaggerate.
“Saturday (against Leicester) I again looked at Manchester and I see that team play and (they make) tears shoot from my eyes. If you can spend £300 million, then you do not buy such a bunch of cake bakers.”
van Gaal famously led Holland to the third place finish in 2014 Brazil World Cup, but according to van Hanegem, the Dutchman succeeds only when results are coming in a regular basis: “van Gaal is a good trainer when his team get results because then everything is accepted. Look at Holland in the World Cup.
“Perhaps it (his football) does not matter to others, as long as it yields points. I do not think so. I am a lover (of football). van Gaal takes the fun away from the people.”
Unfortunately Manchester United with 20 goals from 14 matches are the lowest scorers in Premier League’s top five this season and have drawn four of their last eight games with a margin of 0-0, the damning statistics from their current campaign not going well with United boss.
van Gaal himself pointed out United’s problems and admitted he is looking for wide players with pace and creativity to solve the problems.
Then how can he sell a player like Di Maria back in summer, a player who fits the bill perfectly? He at that time claimed the Argentinian winger didn’t follow his philosophy.
Speaking to Dutch media outlet AD, van Hanegem further said: “It strikes me that he has almost no creative players in his squad.
“Di Maria is such a person, but he was not entirely to his liking in Manchester. Some players need to show their football with instincts that you should not take away.
“Di Maria is now doing it again excellent at Paris Saint-Germain.”