28 Nov 2015 19:35:40
Hi ed01 or 02, I was wondering if u guys heard anything regarding thoughts on van gaal inside United. As in are the board happy with the job he is doing and team play in general? I remember sir Bobby once saying United wouldn't hire jose because of his style of play so sure he wouldn't be happy with how we are playing at the moment?

{Ed001's Note - there have been issues behind the scenes for a long time, with a lot of people unhappy with the way the team are playing. The only thing that is keeping him in the role is the results. So long as United are top four, it is very difficult to remove him, or to make a case for replacing him. The only problem is that as dissatisfaction grows, performances will not improve, confidence is affected and team spirit suffers. So when, if, a bad patch happens, things can quickly fall apart with little hope of arresting a slide into the midtable places. Playing safe football does mean it is unlikely to happen though.}

1.) 28 Nov 2015
28 Nov 2015 20:16:41
So no matter how awful we play, as long as we're top 4 he's not going anywhere huh. Well that's frustrating. I've backed the manager but jus can't make myself do it anymore.
Another thing, if he is let go, with talks of city signing pep and liverpool having signed klopp. Will the board be brave enuf to give the job to giggs? In your opinion that is.

{Ed001's Note - is that bravery or taking the easy route out by going with the man in place?}

2.) 28 Nov 2015
28 Nov 2015 20:42:11
Depends on hw u look at it. I'd say it's bravery.

3.) 28 Nov 2015
28 Nov 2015 23:52:50
It's not bravery Dip. It's stupidity.

4.) 29 Nov 2015
29 Nov 2015 07:34:19
Actually it's a gamble. If it works out, with giggs at the helm, the decision will be termed as a brave decision. If it doesn't then it will Hav been a stupid one. But this pretty obvious. Putting all that aside I hope the powers that may b at United be brave and sack Lvg before things go frm bad to worse.

5.) 01 Dec 2015
01 Dec 2015 11:02:40
"Sack LVG before things go from bad to worse. " Seriously. I give up with some of you people.

6.) 01 Dec 2015
01 Dec 2015 16:49:23
Why Maverick?

Do you disagree that things are bad now? If so you are entitled to your opinion, but so are those of us who don't like seeing our team play boring, slow football, whatever the results.

7.) 02 Dec 2015
02 Dec 2015 09:46:09
Thorne, yeah I disagree. I can understand the frustration of a number of fans based on the performances we‘ve seen from United this year – however, the lack of patience is beyond ridiculous. After Ferguson left the team was a complete mess, and Moyes coming in made things worse. Yes Ferguson won the league, but the age of the squad, the lack of quality in depth and the lack of genuine world class players meant that a big rebuilding job was needed to compete again.
Moyes came in, brought with him Fellaini and tried to sign every world class player in Europe rather than looking at the long term planning. He made many mistakes and simply had to go. Enter Van Gaal – He was tasked with revitalizing a squad, clearing out the deadwood and getting United back into the Champions league. He made a number of signings to help with the latter and also let a bunch of players go in his first year. But it was all part of the process…. he got United back into the Champions league and decided at this point that now after a season he understood which players he wanted long term and what he needed to bring in.
Now fast forward to this year – He also let a bunch more players leave this season, many on really high wages – RVP, Nani, Falcao, Di Maria – brought in a number of players he wanted to work with and is left with a squad he is happy with and he has built – and one that contains many young players, (Martial, Smalling, Jones, Blind, Darmian, Shaw, De Gea, Schneirdelain, Depay, Herrera, Rojo, McNair, Pereira, Lingard, are all players who can play for another 5-10 years and who haven’t reached their full potential yet) . He has brought in 14 players, promoted a number from the youth team and now let a huge chunk go in his two seasons…that’s a massive change around but also necessary in terms of wages, and long term planning. He was trusted to do this due to his experience and record in doing similar at other top clubs.
After now putting together the squad he needs to now implement his playing style, which is possession based and built on patience rather then going full throttle . You need to start at the base, and even the most blind of fans can see he has sorted the defense. Compare this to last year where De Gea was making 10-15 saves a match to now where he is making 1 or 2. We are keeping clean sheets and keeping the ball…. however, the one missing element is our attacking play and he has been called out on this, and rightly so.
However, even Ferguson knew you can't win anything without a defense, and it is a process…you start at the base and then work further up the pitch. This will happen over the season, but in Van Gaals mind and the reason he is relatively happy is everything is going towards his long term plan. His past teams did eventually play attractive and effective football and the same will happen at United. He keeps saying ‘process’ because it is process. Replacing him now would completely undermine all positive (yes positive) work he has done behind the scenes.
If you look at Ferguson’s United between 2003 and 2006 it was a similar process. Losing key players like RVN, Keane, Butt, Beckham and Stam and accommodating an older and different Scholes and Giggs he had to rebuild and was also looking to implement a different playing style and formation to help with the changing styles in Europe and domestically – this was built around the likes of Ferdinand, Rooney and Ronaldo. I remember a number of fans becoming frustrated during this spell, but he needed time to make these changes.
I also a remember a huge amount of 0-0’s during this period. If Social media was around I imagine there would be a number of ridiculous ‘SAF out’ Tweets and posts. However it was a process and the club allowed him the time to do this – and they were rewarded with one of the best periods in the clubs history between 2006-2009.
The bottom line is Van Gaal has done what was asked, he has built a new squad, trimmed off most of the deadwood and high wages (bar Rooney of course) and got United competing again.
The final word is I believe this ‘Van Gaal out’ stuff is ridiculous and we need to let him finish the process he has started. Ask yourself this, who replaces him? Or even, come next season when he steps down will United be in a better or worse position than when Ferguson retired? Would Van Gaal have achieved his aim of reestablishing and setting up United for years to come and leaving the new manager in a place where everything is in place for him to succeed? United fans please look at the bigger picture and stop acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. As a club we have always prided ourselves on long term planning and patience and the stuff I am reading recently makes a mockery of this.

8.) 02 Dec 2015
02 Dec 2015 17:50:09
While a lot of that is true, I disagree on several points.

Firstly, I think the current squad is entirely capable of playing more exciting attacking football, indeed I would go so far as to say that the slow possession style is actively hampering many of our better players and preventing us from getting the best out of them.

Also, I don't think he has sorted the defence out. This type of possession football is inherently defensive, as it aims to keep possession of the ball to destrict opposing chances. You can't score when you don't have the ball. We aren't actually defending much better when the opposition actually have the ball (although I will agree there has been a moderate improvement), and we are conceding fewer goals mainly because our opponents don't have the ball enough to build any momentum.

I do agree that there aren't a lot of options to replace LVG, but I don't think that we have to be happy with him just because there isn't an obvious replacement.

9.) 02 Dec 2015
02 Dec 2015 18:03:55
Also Maverick, there WAS social media around 2003-2006, and while it wasn't as prominent as now, fan sites, forums, and blogs where around too, and you're wrong.

People grumbled, but there wasn't a "Fergie Out" movement. The simple reason is that was a transition, whereas this feels like a total abandonment of the exciting, attacking football that, for many of us, is an intrinsic part of Utd's identity.