Man U

There is nothing more exciting in football than watching Manchester United chase a game

arsenal-man-united

Do me a favour

It’s an interesting sentiment and that’s what Ron Atkinson once said of Manchester United.

Why? Because when they went behind under Sir Alex Ferguson there was even more urgency about The Reds.

They would be a whirr of forward motion and full of a sort of arrogant belief that it was simply a matter of time before the scoreline changed back in Manchester United’s favour.

But, based on the performance against Arsenal, those sentiments couldn’t be more outdated.

Because Manchester United played the second half against Arsenal as if they were 1-0 up.

They continued the square passing, the slow and calculated build up play and the pedestrian tempo. And there was no penetration or urgency at all.

Had Fergie been boss he would possibly have told his team that it would be better to lose 10-0, and at least have a go, than give the fans nothing in the second half.

And therein lies the crux of the matter.

Louis van Gaal is trying to bring the mountain to Mohammed at Manchester United.

He still hasn’t figured out that this league is very different from every other that he has managed in. It’s quicker, more physical and the best teams are the most direct XIs who take risks.

But he seems unwilling to adapt – to bend to these new laws of the game and evolve his way of thinking.

The more critical at soccersweep think that Louis van Gaal is beginning to look like an old man in a young man’s industry.

As the excellent Jurgen Klopp heads to Liverpool we are now wondering whether, like David Moyes, Louis van Gaal will ultimately be seen as a stop gap for Manchester United before a really credible and fresh approach from a younger man who wants to take the reins long term – a man like Ryan Giggs.

Louis needs to stop talking about his retirement home in Portugal and concentrate on one of the biggest jobs in football.

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