30 Dec 2015 19:33:20
{Ed's Note - We have posted a new article entitled, Stick Or Twist With Van Gaal?


1.) 30 Dec 2015
30 Dec 2015 19:34:47
Back in August I wrote the post copied in below, it was interesting to see how much of what I had been told had come true and how much things had changed.

"Most importantly, When i was in Holland watching a few Ajax games and watching Cillessen in the flesh due to some old connections and friends I have out there, I met a gentleman called Maarten Meijer who shadowed Van Gaal and wrote his biography a few years ago, anyway he then introduced me to a 'friend' of his which turned out to be Gerard van der Lem (if you don't know who he is then look him up) - Anyway, god knows why he was in Amsterdam at the time but he was.

so we're all sitting their chatting, in total there are 4 of us, my friend who I grew up with, a fan of Ajax, Van Gaal's ghost writer and this absolute legend of a coach van der Lem all sitting chatting about football, families, house prices, differences in our new living cultures (2 Spanish guys living in the UK and Holland and a Dutch guy living in Turkey - being Lem) .

So we soon turned to Manchester United, Van Gaal and surprisingly they all thought he would be sacked before he wins the league, I disagreed and the conversation proceeding to talk about players, why people don't like him (turns out he can get quite personal when confronted and challenged) .

eventually we turn to tactics, and on a couple of napkins and an iPad they show me some interesting things about Van Gaal and the way he trains, using this method and that method, etc.

Things I have since looked out for, and have seen in our games towards the end of last season, pre-season and against Spurs - hence why I have been such a huge supporter of Van Gaal.

So there you go, I wanted to really write an article instead of just saying oh i met this guy, he told me this. etc.

I also wrote the article because I think some people don't really understand what Van Gaal is about tactically. well now you have the chance to understand.

two final things, during my little evening with these gentlemen, I was told that Van Gaal does not like big egos, he likes his players to be modest, honest human beings and players like Bale, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, etc. would never last at United. It was possibly one of the reasons Falcao was let go (not as modest as you think apparently) .

The final point, is Van Gaal works in clubs where he gets full control, if he doesn't win the league this year the chances are things will tighten up at Old Trafford, if they do then Van Gaal probably won't last much longer - that's just a little bit from the conversation oh and apparently Turkey is horrific in the winter. "

I hope you enjoyed reading the article! have a fantastic new year!


2.) 30 Dec 2015
30 Dec 2015 20:35:10
Really enjoyed that Moon, cheers for posting it. What's your opinion on our CB's just out of interest?


3.) 30 Dec 2015
30 Dec 2015 21:06:56
Manchester United: The stats that suggest Morgan Schneiderlin should be starting every week

The Dutchman used 18 different players in his starting XIs against Wolfsburg, Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke but two things remained constant.

United lost all four and Morgan Schneiderlin didn’t start any of them. In fact, he didn’t play a single minute.

Schneiderlin has the highest pass completion rate of any United player and makes the most tackles per game. Only Marcos Rojo has intercepted more passes per game.

United have conceded 24 goals in all competitions but only nine in the games when Schneiderlin has been picked from the start. Of the 16 games he’s started, United have kept a clean sheet in 10.

He’s best when he plays next to Bastian Schweinsteiger. Of the 11 games they’ve been paired together in midfield United have conceded just five goals and kept seven clean sheets.
[ManchesterEveningNews].


4.) 30 Dec 2015
30 Dec 2015 21:08:32
Cheers rewz.

I think they're both as bad as eachother and nothing more than squad players.

I'd like to see Hummels come in.

In an ideal world we would have Mustafi and Stones in central defence with blind and smalling as squad players. I'd move on Jones and keep Rojo unless we can recoup what we paid for him, in which case I'd like to see someone like inigo Martinez replace him.


5.) 30 Dec 2015
30 Dec 2015 21:25:25
Diego,

Interesting, I never knew that. personally I don't believe those kind of stats as a signal for why its gone wrong, its like Arsenal have never lost a home game that Flamini has played in but its not because of him.


I do think he's a superb player, I just believe he's been massive under used and its proving to be a bad buy simply because we're not using him to his potential.


6.) 30 Dec 2015
30 Dec 2015 21:41:37
For me moon, the midfield should be built around schneiderlin and Herrera. One of the eds mentioned it the other day about playing a midfield 3 of Herrera, schneiderlin and then schweinsteiger sitting deep behind them. For me that's our best midfield, then have a front 3 of martial out left, mata out right and Rooney up top.


7.) 30 Dec 2015
30 Dec 2015 22:09:40
I completely agree, for me you need Schneiderlin, Herrera and then a deeper midfielder a long the lines of Carvalho to let the other two roam around the field. that's just my opinion anyway.

I don't like Schweinsteiger and honestly think he's one of the worst signings the club has made since Ferguson's last years.


8.) 31 Dec 2015
31 Dec 2015 00:21:07
Fantastic read really enjoyed it.


9.) 31 Dec 2015
31 Dec 2015 01:31:42
Good read. Personally I like Blind at centre back in the games when the opposition are playing for 0-0 but don't fancy him against ambitious opposition, and lately everyone is amitious against us. So can't really do anything other than agree with the "squad player" tag.