Manchester United 'more boring ' under Jose Mourinho, says Louis van Gaal

[Hammerfell]

Sounds like José has lost another friend.

You adore Mourinho, don’t you?

 

[Cristiano Lell]

You adore Mourinho, don’t you?

Big fan.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

We were much more boring to watch during his tenure at the club and he knows it. Ask any fan out there to tell you what he considers to be boring football and the vast majority will tell you that it is synonymous to utter incompetence in the final third. Which is exactly what we were under LvG, incompetent and waiting until the 80th minute of our games at OT to have our first shot on target against any half decent midtable club. But, of course, he's not going to admit that because then he would have to admit that he was a failure for us.

Instead, he generalizes and hides behind Guardiola's success when there wasn't even the slightest sign that his brand of football would bear fruit at United. He just tells us that it would have worked out well eventually simply because it's "possession football" and that we should have had blind faith in him because he had made it work two whole decades ago and it is his philosophy. Great, just great.

Just for the record Louis, City have scored 48 goals in 16 games thus far while in your second season with us it took us a whole season (38 games) to score 49. But it doesn't matter because "you did the best with what you had to work with", right? Meaning the quality in the squad was poor, i guess. Most of them are still here and we're doing better. How about that?

I used to love this man during the 90's, i used to worship his Ajax side of 92-96 but i can't tolerate anyone having a dig at my club because they feel bitter. That was poor from him. If there's one thing that can make me angrier, this would be Woodward's behaviour, assuming that LvG's comments are entirely true. If you're going to fire someone, you should have the dignity to do it face to face.

 

[Home&Away]

LVG indeed got us Martial, but I wouldn't be so quick to credit him for Rashford. It's not like he took a chance and played some kid out of the blue. Everyone was injured. His hand was forced to bring up someone from the reserves. It had gotten so bad that the game before Rashford was brought up Depay was our starting striker. But that's going to happen when the only strikers in the team at the time were Rooney and Falcao. LVG got rid of RVP, Welbeck and Chicharito as well as sending Wilson out on loan. So with Rooney and Falcao out he had to call up someone...

This does my absolute head in. It came when he was in charge; he was working with Giggs and keeping an eye on the reserves - managing to go for a winger & playing him as a St who was scoring crazy consistent in his first games.

LVG cpuld have played anyone there but he didn't okay? He picked Rashford & deserves some respect for that.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

This does my absolute head in. It came when he was in charge; he was working with Giggs and keeping an eye on the reserves - managing to go for a winger & playing him as a St who was scoring crazy consistent in his first games.

LVG cpuld have played anyone there but he didn't okay? He picked Rashford & deserves some respect for that.

Agreed, I don't have a problem with crediting LVG with some things and don't see why others can't do likewise while still disliking the football he produced in those two years and being glad he's gone.

As for us being more boring now than under LVG, no chance. The Sheffield United FA Cup game alone was far worse than anything we've produced since.

 

[devil in me]

This is the most ridiculous thing ive read for quite some time. LVGs football was absolutely dreadful to watch, the last game I went to of his, we lost 1-0 to Saints and I left at half time, it was THAT boring. Mourinho's tactics in the big games have been crap, no doubt, but we've also played some great stuff, and scored bucket loads, things that never happened under LVG. Werent about 15 of our home games nil nil at half time in one season? LVG and Jose are absoutely incomparable in terms of being boring.

 

[Xaviesta]

Louis van Gaal's United are best described as a cure for insomnia.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Sounds like José has lost another friend.

I bet he's losing a lot of sleep over it.

 

[lysglimt]

LvG did a lot of things right when it came to youngsters - but he signed the wrong players and that cost him his job.

 

[Cristiano Lell]

I bet he's losing a lot of sleep over it.

You are joking, but I am serious. They used to be friends.
I don't know obviously, maybe this means nothing and they're completely fine behind the scenes. But I feel as if this public barb by LvG would not happen without the things Mourinho said when he took over Utd, which were pretty disrespectful towards van Gaal and suprisingly so given the good relation between the two.

 

[redIndianDevil]

We were much more boring to watch during his tenure at the club and he knows it. Ask any fan out there to tell you what he considers to be boring football and the vast majority will tell you that it is synonymous to utter incompetence in the final third.

I don't know who these "vast majority" are but IMO the only boring football I know is parking the bus and hoofing it long without having any plan for a decent counter attack.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

You are joking, but I am serious. They used to be friends.
I don't know obviously, maybe this means nothing and they're completely fine behind the scenes. But I feel as if this public barb by LvG would not happen without the things Mourinho said when he took over Utd, which were pretty disrespectful towards van Gaal and suprisingly so given the good relation between the two.

It was disrespectful but it also the hard truth. LvG had an awful effect on some of our players, he drilled in his philosophy so much like for example telling our attackers to always take a touch before shooting and he gave Herrera a bollocking for bombing forward and scoring a goal. Mourinho said when he first arrived that he would've rather have worked with a blank squad that hadn't been giving strict instructions for two years and basically the squad was low on confidence. I think any manager would've felt the same. I like LvG had some good laughs with him as manager and we won our first post Fergie trophy under him but in the end he did a lot of damage that was always going to take time to fix. I doubt Mourinho meant to hurt him with them comments he was just being too honest and was probably frustrated with what he was left with. And I doubt he really cares what LvG thinks. People have said worse things about each other.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

I don't know who these "vast majority" are but IMO the only boring football I know is parking the bus and hoofing it long without having any plan for a decent counter attack.

If you believe that we have scored 36 goals in 16 league games and 53 goals in 24 matches thus far in the season by just hoofing the ball, i have nothing more to tell you. There are full matches available on YT and other sites from the LvG era. Feel free to watch them since you find them more entertaining.

 

[Home&Away]

Don't think lvg deserves the criticism at all really.

It was nice for once to watch a United team who could pass the ball around and control the game. I mean im sorry but we could barely string a few passes together on Sunday it was quite sad. The downside was that to completely change to a pass and control heavy "philosophy" it takes a good amount of time to break down habits and learn new ones. I still maintain he was on the right track and was closer to it all coming together than most people give him credit for. We were in the top 3 best defenses in the PL if not the very best can't remember. Our record against the top teams was superb.

The only thing lacking was the goals and attacking consistency. To me this was the final part of philosophy and hardest to get right and implement. I remember those years quite clearly and although we didnt create a huge volume of chances, clear cut chances were created every game and we failed to take advantage. Our finishing was diabolical really. Not sure what went on behind the scenes in regards to the striker position but it would have been nice to get a Lukaku type player then. We took a calculated gamble on Falcao (which any manager would have done) and it didn't come off, made Di Maria a huge signing and he wasn't up for it and Rooney and RVP continued to regress. Marcus and Martial were just too raw to be the focal points yet. I was mad at first about the Welbeck sale but its looking more like it was the right move. I certainly wasnt mad about Hernandez going. I guess that would be my biggest criticism of LVG that he didn't get an established big name striker in to bang in the goals against the average teams we couldn't beat. Still think he was a fantastic coach and was kind of sad to see him go.

I am biased towards LVG because I saw the things the way you saw it & your post is great. It was hard to see but he was defending as a team mostly by possession & attacking was the final thing supposed to be done in the same way.

That's why I had always said if he had stayed; there was no other option but to go 352; stick martial & Rashford upfront with Lingard behind - basically what we are seeing to be a viable option now. He couldn't change this 3/4 in to the season he had stuck by playing 433 & suddenly found Rashford working in between martial & Lingard.

That same season; Blind became a very competent ball playing CB instead of a LB or a CDM; something that would have been perfect in the heart of the 3 at the back.

It doesn't matter anymore since he has long gone - but I took a punt a long time ago saying that United won't reach the top until they perfect the 352 because it is the formation that allows to be overly attacking when we need to be & Overly defensive when we need to be - a balance that we currently lack.

After trying different partnerships & formations for the attackers; we have started to play 352 - martial, Lukaku (should be dropped)/Rashford, with Lingard behind and almost by having tried everything else - I personally believe this has been our best performances. This includes the massive difference that Young & Valencia have with that extra space at wingback rather than fullbacks.

Finally; I don't know if it will be the same case & we must wait for Jose to stumble across to Blind to be the extra 3rd CB in defence - but I don't think he will get the balance of attacking vs defending right until he plays a CB who can do just that.

Playing a sweeper in the heart of 3 CB's by playing smalling not only invites defensive pressure but sometimes shows Jose's appreciation and preference for a defensive approach to a game - my personal opinion.

This is probably alongside the lack of possession & control in the game where LVG assumes he had more attacking intent & he wouldn't unnecessarily invite pressure on purpose to initiate a counter attack; that is a defensive over attacking tactic even though our attack has been better.

 

[kopviolator]

Are you kidding? Do you remember playing League 1 Sheffield United at home and people cheering for Memphis' shanked shot after 70 odd minutes because nothing else had happened all match?

Under Van Gaal we would go HOURS without any goals. Without even any shots at goal. There were a string of 0-0s in December 2015. It was the most tedious football I've ever seen.

Jose's a counter attacking manager, he does surrender territory and try to hit on the break. He ain't that though. That was mind numbing.

Yeah, maybe a bit tongue in cheek - but 35% possession against City at home with one real chance in the game is disappointing. And this is no one-off. LVG had his moments as well and his results against the bigger teams was very good.

 

[redIndianDevil]

I think LvG was on the right track, philosophy wise, he just lacked the players needed for his style, that is the difference between him and Guardiola, Guardiola knows he cannot do what he does with inferior players or youth team graduates so he buys them. Another mistake that LvG made was trying to utilize Rooney, LvG should have gotten rid off him.

My only worry right now is how absolutely poor our passing and movement is, against teams that park the bus we are okay as there is space to work but against any decent teams that press, our players sit back and begin to hoof it. At least under LvG our players didn't shit themselves whenever the opposition pressed us and tried to pass the ball whereas now we keep hoofing it endless to no purpose. We no longer take the initiative against teams that are equal to us, while this was okay previously it is not acceptable now, City, Chelsea are all loaded sides who are also good at blowing away small teams, we need to beat the big boys to win the title.

 

[#07]

Yeah, maybe a bit tongue in cheek - but 35% possession against City at home with one real chance in the game is disappointing. And this is no one-off. LVG had his moments as well and his results against the bigger teams was very good.

I don't think anyone is making out we played wonderfully on Sunday, just that Van Gaal criticising Jose for boring football is like the sea calling a river wet. Its laughable.

I still remember Cambridge United away. A delightful 0-0 draw in which we were absolute horse mess. I can't remember any games under Jose that were as bad as that.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Say what you want about the guy, he had a cracking record again the top teams.

 

[Home&Away]

It was disrespectful but it also the hard truth. LvG had an awful effect on some of our players, he drilled in his philosophy so much like for example telling our attackers to always take a touch before shooting and he gave Herrera a bollocking for bombing forward and scoring a goal. Mourinho said when he first arrived that he would've rather have worked with a blank squad that hadn't been giving strict instructions for two years and basically the squad was low on confidence. I think any manager would've felt the same. I like LvG had some good laughs with him as manager and we won our first post Fergie trophy under him but in the end he did a lot of damage that was always going to take time to fix. I doubt Mourinho meant to hurt him with them comments he was just being too honest and was probably frustrated with what he was left with. And I doubt he really cares what LvG thinks. People have said worse things about each other.

No way - I don't like bigging up Pep; but his intent on possession, passing & positioning is not that different to LVG's & when he wanted the players to take a touch before passing was restricting individual movement for the benefit of movement as a team & gaining the right positioning as a team as well.

You go back to what Henry said half way through our game; it was obvious that City did that & valued being in the right position & to attack in a formation.

Pep would have undone the unnecessary restrictions & kept the most important parts of it the same. Coupled with things like inside forwards playing as strikers - the movement & play of sterling, jesus & sane won't have been too hard to replicate here with Rashford, martial & possibly Lingard whilst adding some of his own players too.

Pep wouldn't have preferred a blank canvas over LVG's left overs.

 

[Ephrem]

Too late now. They can lose three in a row before they're under any pressure. It's over. We had a chance on Sunday, even without Pogba, and fluffed our lines.

Yeah I can understand. Its damn difficult to close a 11 point gap and that too when city know how to win ugly. But what we don't know is how will they handle a loss. Lets see how they will play against Spurs and Liverpool away.

 

[Oaencha]

Again, we had 2 strikers. That's it. And they were both hurt. And before he decided to give Rashford a call he did exactly what you said other managers would do and played an experienced player ahead of him. Rooney and Falcao were out so he played Depay as a striker. That didn't work, so we then had a game against Mitijhad (spelling?) in the Europa League where Martial was lined up to start up front and he got hurt too. So LVG had no choice but to start Rashford and he scored twice. We played Arsenal a couple days later and with everybody out and Rashford doing so well in his debut that he was forced to start in, it was a no brainer to start Rashford again. But don't think for a second that if it weren't for the injuries that Rashford still would have gotten his chance. LVG was very willing to start youngsters at FB. We saw a bunch of kids play there. But not at other positions. His hand was forced here, but he will be the first person to take credit for Rashford...

I agree with pretty much all of this. For your reference it’s spelt Midtjylland and I’m pretty sure Will Keane was supposed to start but got injured in the warm up.

 

[Bestietom]

LvG is a pain in the ass.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

No way - I don't like bigging up Pep; but his intent on possession, passing & positioning is not that different to LVG's & when he wanted the players to take a touch before passing was restricting individual movement for the benefit of movement as a team & gaining the right positioning as a team as well.

You go back to what Henry said half way through our game; it was obvious that City did that & valued being in the right position & to attack in a formation.

Pep would have undone the unnecessary restrictions & kept the most important parts of it the same. Coupled with things like inside forwards playing as strikers - the movement & play of sterling, jesus & sane won't have been too hard to replicate here with Rashford, martial & possibly Lingard whilst adding some of his own players too.

Pep wouldn't have preferred a blank canvas over LVG's left overs.

Tactically, perhaps not. But he would still have gone on to break the bank in order to buy a proper midfield, ball playing centre-halves and full-backs that can contribute in the attacking half. After all, LvG himself claimed in his comments that he had reached this squad's ceiling and that this was as good as it would get with them and this particular style of football.

Whether Pep would have found his preferred players in the market or not, we will never know since he is at another club where he found the midfield options he wanted waiting there for him. Mourinho's approach is entirely different to LvG's and, in that sense, he has every right to say that he would have preferred to come to United right after SAF or even Moyes. Nothing wrong with that. What's wrong with Mourinho is that, out of all the players he signed, only Pogba and Matic seem able to make us look like we get closer to becoming a top transition side.

 

[red forever]

They're certainly no more entertaining now. And in LVG's last season I thought we were beginning to build something with youngsters be given chances.

 

[RedFish]

There aren't many things in this world that can be more boring than LVG's football I know that much.

 

[JPRouve]

LVG's United was boring and Mourinho's United is too, not to the same extent but United's fans aren't given a great time.

PS: It might be me though because in 2017 I have been bored by almost every teams.

 

[Cassidy]

LVG's United was boring and Mourinho's United is too, not to the same extent but United's fans aren't given a great time.

PS: It might be me though because in 2017 I have been bored by almost every teams.

Football is getting boring, saying that United are one of the more boring sides.

 

[Rado_N]

Stupid person says something stupid.

 

[Kapardin]

LVG had his moments as well and his results against the bigger teams was very good.

Keep hearing this. The only reason LvG got results against the top 5 was when they were weak. Like Liverpool when Rodgers was under pressure, an underperforming City that did their best to bottle Top 4 and failed only because we were worse and so on. A deflected lucky goal against Klopp's Liverpool in the league. Draws with a Chelsea team in free-fall in 2015/16.

When the big teams were in form or on a good run, or had a half-competent manager, LvG always lost. The 3-0 spankings by in-form Arsenal and Spurs, and the absolute humiliation in the Europa League by a Liverpool team just buying into Klopp's tactics, a 1-0 loss against a more astute manager in Mourinho at the Bridge.

If LvG was here, Conte, Guardiola and even Klopp would hand us punishing defeats, not unlike the 4-0 under Jose we experienced at the Bridge last season. The managers are more competent and the teams are stronger.

 

[minoo-utd]

Because Jose park the bus in few games, dosen't give the right to LVG to describe him as boring, someone needs to show LVG how was the fans almost sleepy every time the camera catch them. Everyone's now criticize Jose Mourinho how funny it is!

 

[RedStrudel76]

Say what you want about the guy, he had a cracking record again the top teams.

Unlike Jose, who loses all the Big Games.

They don't call him Big Game Louis for nothing in Holland, you know!?

shame he was poo in the rest otherwise we could be challenging. Louis was capable of moments of magic/brilliance (Rashford being one) but it was about consistency.. I think he's too old now and stale. Got him too late for his football philosophies to truly work.

I hope Jose can start winning the biggest of matches for us, with the lights on bright.. that is how Legends are made.

 

[VeevaVee]

Stfu now Louis. I half liked him, even when he left, despite despising his football. Now I just think he's an idiot. It's disrespectful to the fans to put on the displays he did and then say it's more boring now.

 

[redflair]

Very funny and humorous from LVG - but said with a clench of the teeth and a red dose of bitter betrayal.

 

[Yorkeontop]

Said the guy who brought us sarcastic applause for a shot on target, at Old Trafford!!

 

[King.of.Red]

Wtf
LoLouis van Gal.. United under him, one of the worst nightmares in my life, I have no enthusiasm to watch United.

 

[FootballHQ]

Van Gaal is talking out of his backside here.

Mourinho has his faults of course he does but remember how few goals Man. United scored against everyone in 15/16.

Not just that but as the poster says above, lack of shots on target particularly against lowly sides. Wasn't one game at home to Southampton when there were no shots on target from Manchester United?

I seem to remember against Sheffield United in the FA cup it was a 90th minute penalty from Rooney and that was one of the first shots on goal.

There was another game against West Ham later that season, think it was v West Ham. Was on a stag do in Barca with a mate who's a United fan. Went off for 20 minutes to see if another bar down the road was open, came back and asked him if Man. United had a shot on target and he said "No."

Van Gaal says teams park the bus, well that was due to him instructing his midfielders to take about 20 touches before they reached the penalty area.

 

[FootballHQ]

And LVG got us Martial and promoted Rashford.

I would argue it was Moyes' lack of decision making and not taking advice, plus his negativity that's set us back. Even Jose is finding it difficult to some extent. It's not easy coming out of the slump that Moyes put us in. Yes, LVG didn't work out, but there's no way he was as bad as Moyes.

Also, most fans wanted us to have a clear out and LVG did it. Can hardly throw that in his face. You can only blame him for some of his signings and his crazy Rooney obsession, and rightly so.

Moyes was just out of his depth managing a club the size of Manchester United.

LVG shouldn't have been managing Bayern, Barca, Holland.

 

[Shark]

Say what you want about the guy, he had a cracking record again the top teams.

Yep. Pretty much the only good thing about his tenure aside from an FA Cup, bringing through Rashford and signing Martial.

 

[T A]

Tweet

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Murphy's law is always right

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

Tweet

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Murphy's law is always right

But can't you see? The "intent" was there, if he could change about 1 million little details we would be as entertaining as City are now. Because... philosophy. It's strange reading this thread. I wonder were some of our fans on here were when KinderBueno, Cadbury, or whatever his username was, was fighting a lonely battle on this forum back in December of 2015.