I love when people say this. Players will have picked up new injuries/reinjured themselves in that time.
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That was just individual mistakes though, which is my point. They were MUCH better in the second half, and you didn't see those gaps all over the place. First 30 minutes were awful, but I would put that down to players starting terribly rather then the system being at fault.
Disagree. With that formation, if we'd played a less soft team they'd of pressed that back three like Arsenal did for longer and we'd of carried on looking spineless at the back and hoofing the ball. The system was gash. We're lucky Arsenal are soft and haven't got a top striker.
Maybe Louis does have a golden willy.
Well, I don't care what anyone says on here. i'm going to support LVG to the hilt. Agaisnt all the odds to be honest, we won, considering how many of our players are fecked. No it wasn't pretty, but we did the job...and as Rooney said, they had a game plan...no doubt instigated by LVG,....and it worked..so hey...whose complaining.
You would certainly hope so. I want to see Wilson start against Hull.
I don't want to keep harping on the Moyes comparisons, but with that personnel, he'd have gone ot the Emirates and gotten thrashed.
Let's put this in perspective, we had a back five of Valencia (winger), McNair (19yrs & 4 apps), Smalling (25), Blackett (20 & 5 apps), Young (wrong footed & winger), and if it hadn't been for Dein inexplicably adding 8 minutes of injury time and Giroud thrashing in a wonder strike, they'd had kept a clean sheet.
This for me is testament to the extraordinary preparation and hard work that goes on, on the training field. The players who didn't play today (or who came off early): Rafael, Jones, Evans, Rojo, Shaw, Blind, Herrera, Januzaj, Falcao, Mata. Some by choice, most by injury.
We've had our ups and downs. There have been frustrating moments, but he took over a team bereft of confidence, at it's lowest ebb in twenty years. Oversaw an exodus of players, has suffered a legendary injury crisis, but still guided us to fourth place after 12 matches. He's gotten performances out of players like Fellaini that have shocked even his most ardent critics.
There are so many positives to Van Gaal. I do think he will guide us to the top four, I think it will be a bumpy ride but to me there seems a belief and unity in the squad that was missing last year. Most importantly, he has made us look really solid in our toughest period despite missing all his senior defenders. Moyes was criticized for wanting to make us hard to beat. Yet the real criticism on that front was that he failed. If we'd played dour football but gotten results, fans wouldn't be happy but he'd still be in a job.
We've seen the players play multiple systems this season already, somewhat competently too. This is a long term process but one which will serve us well. The tactical fluidity of our continental counterparts has always been a trump card over english sides.
There is a lot of work to be done, but for me there is ample evidence that the club is heading in the right direction. I expect many more bumps along the road.
Let's put this in perspective, we had a back five of Valencia (winger), McNair (19yrs & 4 apps), Smalling (25), Blackett (20 & 5 apps), Young (wrong footed & winger), and if it hadn't been for Dein inexplicably adding 8 minutes of injury time and Giroud thrashing in a wonder strike, they'd had kept a clean sheet.
This for me is testament to the extraordinary preparation and hard work that goes on, on the training field. The players who didn't play today (or who came off early): Rafael, Jones, Evans, Rojo, Shaw, Blind, Herrera, Januzaj, Falcao, Mata. Some by choice, most by injury.
We've had our ups and downs. There have been frustrating moments, but he took over a team bereft of confidence, at it's lowest ebb in twenty years. Oversaw an exodus of players, has suffered a legendary injury crisis, but still guided us to fourth place after 12 matches. He's gotten performances out of players like Fellaini that have shocked even his most ardent critics.
There are so many positives to Van Gaal. I do think he will guide us to the top four, I think it will be a bumpy ride but to me there seems a belief and unity in the squad that was missing last year. Most importantly, he has made us look really solid in our toughest period despite missing all his senior defenders. Moyes was criticized for wanting to make us hard to beat. Yet the real criticism on that front was that he failed. If we'd played dour football but gotten results, fans wouldn't be happy but he'd still be in a job.
We've seen the players play multiple systems this season already, somewhat competently too. This is a long term process but one which will serve us well. The tactical fluidity of our continental counterparts has always been a trump card over english sides.
There is a lot of work to be done, but for me there is ample evidence that the club is heading in the right direction. I expect many more bumps along the road.
Unbelievable.
the guys doing a tremendous job...regardless of what the looney's say here
Good post.
100%...look at his post game press conference..is he happy? No, even De Gea came in for criticism. This is a guy who has had to change his line up every game due to injuries...and during the game because of them to. We need this experience, even if it is relatively new to him, sorry...but I'm a huge advocate of him because there is a certain other manager in the German league who was once voiced as someone being a candadate to take over here...and look where his team is.
One good thing is that he usually echoes exactly what the fans are saying as well. He doesn't just say it was a good performance when we win, he accounts for what actually happened in the match and accepts where the flaws were. He's right to not be happy with the performance today, we could very easily have lost. But ultimately if it was his plan to soak up pressure and score on the break, then it worked
With Di Maria playing up front today the shape looked very similar to the Dutch WC front line where Di Maria played the Robben role. Would love to see that with Falcoa, Wilson or Rooney.
Agreed.
I don't think so. I mean, he set up the team well, and the decision to go with a back three was vindicated. A little luck is often needed to win tight matches like these, I think.
Few of us are being cnuts and tweeting this to Piers Morgan, if anyone else wants to get involved? 
Im reserving my judgment until he gets some luck with injuries.
How on earth has he done a tremendous job?
Few of us are being cnuts and tweeting this to Piers Morgan, if anyone else wants to get involved?
MaaaybeWhat she said to him? Can't understand it...
can't be bothered to reply to that...sheesh...
Don't give up on new deals in January, Louie. There's still chance for a decent season despite massive reforms in the squad and tactics.
Can't be bothered or haven't got an actual answer. So you think we've done the best we possibly could given the circumstances? We knew our defenders were injury prone so don't keep using that as an excuse. He's been okay at best and if we'd lost today, the reaction on here would be completely different and you'd be laughed out of here for saying he's done a tremendous job.
Football is a fickle game.
Let's evaluate things on him after 19 games...Much better idea of things then
I'm sorry. Its really time to go [paraphrase, then:] "We have a bus to catch"
I think he's done a tremendous job under the circumstances. He took over a team devoid of confidence after the debacle of Moyes. He then signed players.....some who were already signed before he started. He's now gone through one of the worst injury situations this club has experienced..yeah, even when Fergie was around. We are fourth..against all odds to be honest and there is no doubt that some of that is due to him and his "philosophy" and his communication to the players....especially with two defenders who probably should never be playing as much as they should be now. I think he's doing a tremendous job considering the circumstances...yes.
Of course. Morgan is bitter. And funny at times! I love when people wind up him.Few of us are being cnuts and tweeting this to Piers Morgan, if anyone else wants to get involved?
Fair enough but saying LvG has done a tremendous job, while calling others who don't agree looneys is really weird when we've actually been pretty crap performance and results-wise.
Tremendous is stretching it. With all the continuous problems, he has done alright but it's too early say anything. Good thing is to be round about where we aim to be and continually improve.
Didn't fancy the way we set up or the tactic of going long to Fellaini, but when you put it like this I have to agree.
The players still look frightened at times, the worry is still there, but the confidence is slowly but surely coming back. His biggest job has been to remind our players' they're winners. Bit by bit that's happening I think.
Agree, exactly why we should leave calling it tremendous or atrocious and changing it every week. Let's wait a bit..
This. Its insane how a result glosses over which was for me an inept LVG performance today. Jesus the screams to change things which never happened after the first 20-30 mins on here and now its almost like the inactivity was part of a masterplan. Performances like that against any other PL team would result in defeats. As our next two home games if this is repeated will no doubt play out, much to the bemusement of many who for some strange reason didnt see it coming.
Only thing I will say is, no matter what injuries we expected, no one could have predicted our injury list this season....I've never seen anything like it before. He's had to contend with that and very few managers would have done any better in the same situation.
And it's actually not hard work watching us anymore
Christmas will tell us a lot, all the players will need to play due to number of games. If we are well in that Top 4 I will be well chuffed. Then we should get on a real roll.
Considering our injury record, it’s pretty difficult to judge Van Gaal’s mastery or mistakes when it comes to tactical considerations. With the bundle of injured players we have, every line up is like an improvisation theatre when you have the desire to stage Shakespeare.
At the same time I give him credit for the way he is dealing with the situation: He is integrating young players and strengthening their self confidence, in every press conference he bolsters up our youngsters. He is taking pressure off the players by drawing the media attention to himself. The team doesn’t play a kind of football which must be described as poetic, but at least they look like a team which is heading into the right direction.
Maybe our ugly win today was fortunate, however, Van Gaal creates an aura, where ugly/fortunate wins don’t surprise me any longer but make sense and seem to be part of a bigger picture. (I am sorry for this last sentence. A bit confusing. I hardly can explain what I wanted to say.)
At the same time I give him credit for the way he is dealing with the situation: He is integrating young players and strengthening their self confidence, in every press conference he bolsters up our youngsters. He is taking pressure off the players by drawing the media attention to himself. The team doesn’t play a kind of football which must be described as poetic, but at least they look like a team which is heading into the right direction.
Maybe our ugly win today was fortunate, however, Van Gaal creates an aura, where ugly/fortunate wins don’t surprise me any longer but make sense and seem to be part of a bigger picture. (I am sorry for this last sentence. A bit confusing. I hardly can explain what I wanted to say.)
Agree 100%.
Moyes would've struggled with so many injuries and would've played not to win, but to not lose.
We currently on target to finish top 4, despite the injuries, so Man Utd fans really shouldnt complain.
Dude, we have a team decimated by injury.
We are in 4th place.
Our players have good confidence/morale (where previously they were scared to even touch the ball).
He is doing exactly what was expected of him (ie. a top manager).
Did you expect us to be competing with Chelsea, with so many injuries, taking over a team with no confidence?
It was a great result today but not a great performance. People can point towards the injuries and losing Shaw but we still had Di Maria, Rooney and RvP playing.
Our mentality was similar to a mid-table club going to the Emirates, soaking up pressure, getting battered, keeper having a worldie and nicking a jammy goal on the break.
Our mentality was similar to a mid-table club going to the Emirates, soaking up pressure, getting battered, keeper having a worldie and nicking a jammy goal on the break.
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