Dearest Louis,
Firstly we should say that you remain popular amongst many Manchester United fans as you arrived post-David Moyes when many felt that the club was staring into the abyss.
Your strength of character and huge personality pulled the club through a hugely difficult time and got Manchester United back into the all important Champions League at the first time of asking. For this you will retain the support of the fans for some time yet.
But you are reaching a critical juncture in your tenure as Manchester United manager and there are areas of real concern for the fans.
Style of play
We always remember when Manchester United were enjoying their best moments in history a few years back. They won The Champions League and appeared in 3 finals in 4 years.
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But the last two finals were painful to watch as Manchester United simply couldn’t get the ball off Barcelona.
Your ideal brand of possession football could ultimately be the answer to this. But Manchester United are currently miles off the pace in terms of Premier League pre-eminence. And progress seems to have slowed almost to a standstill in terms of team fluency.
It’s boring watching Manchester United now. The defenders paddle the ball around in their own half. The midfielders pass backwards in order to keep possession. And even the forwards have clearly been told that it’s better to keep the ball with a safe pass than to take too many chances.
But this is what The Premier League is about – taking chances. Taking risks and moving the ball forward quickly.
We have almost fallen asleep at times, such is the laboured style of the build up play. It gives the opponent time to get back into position every time and the possession play counts for nothing.
For all your proclamations of controlling the game, Newcastle weren’t troubled at Old Trafford and Swansea weren’t ever at sixes and sevens on Sunday.
You simply have to change the style of play. The team needs to take more chances. The midfielders need to turn forward instead of passing backwards – the safe option – more often than not. Otherwise you will ultimately lose your job.
Watch the way that City and Chelsea pull teams around the park and out of position with their quick forward passing – and please take note.
Juan Mata
Why oh why is he playing on the right wing? He has decent games for United and scored on Sunday. But can’t you see that his positioning is slowing the whole team down?
Every time he gets the ball he cuts inside and congests the park instead of exploiting the space on the flank and opening the game up.
He may or may not be good enough for number 10.
But he certainly isn’t good enough for the right wing.
You may argue that you don’t have a natural right winger to replace him with.
But, why not?
You have had a year to buy one. And even Ashley Young or Antonio Valencia would give the team more balance than Mata out there.
It’s a real worry that a manager of your supposed calibre is making such a poor decision, week on week, while teams like Manchester City sign the likes of De Bruyne and Pedro.
Signings
You can’t lose RvP, Nani, Chicharito, Falcao and Januzaj without adding at least two forwards. Martial is an exciting potential addition. But you have 24 hours to find another top wide forward or the season will be a failure.
Push the boat out for Reus or Griezmann.
Romero
God help us if you think that he is the answer.
In summary, thanks for everything so far Louis. The team looks quite solid again.
But if you want to be remembered as a success then you need to make a few big changes now or you will surely be asked to leave the club at the end of this season.
andrews
Aug 31, 2015 at 10:12 pm
Comment: plzzz I think its high time we scout 4 a perfect manager not a proud philosopher! Van Gaal thinks he is bigger than man utd. The club is far bigger than him n he’s him n he’s CV. I can’t sit n watch my team playing boring n annoying futball week in week out. Plzzz its high time we go 4 ACCELOTTI! Tanks
asif
Aug 31, 2015 at 10:12 pm
well said. LVG correct. Speed and risk can give you one more goals than opponent. Possession wont
jmb53
Aug 31, 2015 at 10:23 pm
Not impressed with any coach that thinks possession wins games…GOALS win games! You must attack with pace down the wing , thru the middle, you must attack. Put the defense on the back foot. United is so slow in attack YOU COULD EAT A SANDWICH as defender!
abdul bwika
Aug 31, 2015 at 10:31 pm
dearest vna gaal if you dont execute mata and replace him with either young valencia or even marco reus if we get him then by the end of this season i assure you to be out of man untd.add more strikers.we glad by martial,we need charlie austine and even pato for the number 9.and play marcos rojostead of blind…blind should switch luke shaw and not marcos
abdul bwika
Aug 31, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Dearest van gaal
switch mata with young/valencia.
add charlie austin/alexander pato for number 9.
we impressed with martial.
get reus for the mid field though we got enough but we need an aggressive midfielder like schneiderlin and tiger.
swicth blind to marcos rojo ,blind js never meant to play centre back stead he should play with luke shaw.
failure to this you may end up exiting from the back doors at old trafford.
you never gave di maria and rvp time to show case up themselves we missed and made a great mistake.you have 24hrs to make your carrer a long term at old trafford.
AFEEZ
Aug 31, 2015 at 10:47 pm
Louis is too small to handle united, plssss it’s high time we should go for anceloti
Bruce
Aug 31, 2015 at 10:49 pm
Yep. Add me to the list. I’ll be as pleased to see van Gaal go as I was to see Moyes go.
amaechi
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:00 pm
Comment:Good letter,LVG is too arrogant and clueless abt modern game..IMO..my man utd have 5 big problem,sentiment apart Smalling has done well but him and jone has poor injury record,now Evans is gone and blind is never and will never be a top-notch CB,we need 2 world class CB,1 world class GK,1 world class left footed winger,1 world class striker cos Rooney is neither good as striker nor as no 10(he is a big puzzle that has only one solution-sale him),then man utd a conductor in the midfield,a playmaker like coutinho or david silva,who has the ability to drive with the ball and pick intelligent runs with precise passes..and finally LVG should sort his selections out or he will be sorted out like Moyes..GGMU
Akinola Saheed
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:01 pm
Comment: I know right from his appointment that we have a failure.lvg is nothing but arrogant and myopic old man.To hell with your crude philosophy!!!
Akinola Saheed
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:06 pm
Comment: I know right from the moment he was appointed that we have signed a failure.lvg is nothing but arrogant and myopic old man.To hell with your crude philosophy!!!
paulo maldini
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:16 pm
Comment:y memphis is an xciting prospect but he has to quickly change his big boy attitude or else he will b d biggest flop of the season. I can’t imagined van gaal left him to play for full ninety minutes just bcos he bought him.if u use perreria he will give aquality performance than memphis.lvg is scared of the english press if he drops rooney to d bench.y selling rapheal wen u kw he is d best crosser of d ball into d six yard box. Y is lvg so hard on chicha making him to play with pressure rather with relaxed mindset.lvg has apoor management skills so proud
William
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:40 pm
I have supported United for over 40 years but I can’t remember a more clueless manager than Van Gaal (Moyes wasn’t as clueless, just out of his depth) Everyone has their opinions but most would agree that United needed strengthening at the back: right back and centre back positions (both centre positions for me, I don’t believe Smalling is United class) centre midfield and a new experienced striker.
Van Gaal has had two summers at this, has made some progress at right back and centre midfield but has ignored centre back and striker positions.
Van Gaal has also made a mess of the Goal keeping situation by dragging out the de Gea saga – a player with less than 12 months left on his contract – most football fans could see this one coming and would have dealt with it by going out and getting an experienced keeper, money isn’t an issue for Man Utd, this should have been done before the season started!
Faillure to prepare will ultimately mean that Van Gaal fails and will go, along hopefully with Woodward – second only to Van Gaal in cluelessness!
Fergie to be interim Manager (just like Sir Mat in the early 70s until someone with experience and football know-how can be found.
smos
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:42 pm
My worst fear is that even a top four will not be there for us players like Austin is much more ready available for a tap in yet u spend so much on a player we haven’t watched at all buy Austin with 15 or less go for reus with a heafty price n u will get them trust me van gal this will be a test for u test where by u will be measured according to u playing techniques, weighed with the amount of money spent n u will be found unfit for the job
Josey
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:45 pm
Clueless is the word. He started januzaj 3times now his gone to dortmund. Now martial is our saviour to be just like falcao and di maria was. Clueless
Jack Chatha
Aug 31, 2015 at 11:51 pm
I wouldn’t give my 100% effort to a manager who sits 90 mins on his chair just watching me. If I was a Man United player right now, I would ask to be loaned out until LvG leaves this club. Infact, can our beloved Sir Alex Ferguson please take over just for now until Pep Guardiola comes to sort out the mess!!!! It is clear that no big player wants to be coached by this arrogant old fashioned LvG. I wonder if he is not in a mission to destroy this mighty football club.
walter
Sep 1, 2015 at 12:08 am
LVG is not a good manager for united. he was complaining about the back line the whole of last season but when it was time to buy it was the last thing on his mind. you don’t put a player in just any position, you put a player in his favourite position. a happy player equals the best results. We need a CB and we need a good Right wing
vurimu samuel
Sep 1, 2015 at 10:31 am
Comment:its high time to give lvg time we thougt he could build our team but he keeps on selling good players.e.g chicharito,louis nani and keeping young onthe bench
0725067019
Sep 1, 2015 at 9:43 pm
Comment:hengelo Rodriguez was by far better than Anthony martial,yet he was sold at just 1.5m while martial will cost man united 36m pound.