(UPDATE: Following up on The Times report, we now see this very well sourced piece from The Sun)
Manchester United players are continuing to grow discontented and frustrated with Manager Louis van Gaal. Nicknamed “the Iron Tulip,” the Dutchman is notorious for his hard line ways, and it’s reportedly turning off the Man United roster. According to The Times, Man United’s
“senior players are growing increasingly frustrated with Louis van Gaal’s tendency to blame them for the club’s poor results and performances, rather than acknowledging any shortcomings in his tactics or style of play.” The report goes on to say that Van Gaal
“focuses on their failure to implement his tactical plan, rather than acknowledging any failure of the plan itself.”
This comes on the heels of former Man United winger Nani hitting out at Van Gaal, for treating his players “as if they are kids.”
“He and his assistant would shout at players like we were kids, like 18-year-olds,” he told the Sunday Times.
“And I would think, ‘This is not the way to treat us because I am professional. I am training every day, and I am doing nothing wrong.
“It’s difficult to play football when somebody is saying ‘Come on! You must pass the ball like this, blah, blah, blah.’ It’s crazy, because football is instinct and decision. It’s what you see.”
Whether or not Van Gaal has lost the Man United dressing room is something that’s only known behind closed doors. However, you can see how serious the pressure is on Van Gaal and how unsettled he is right now in the public arena. The Dutchman gave a very surly, defensive and condescending answer to a reporter on Sunday, calling him “pathetic.”
Earlier in the season, Van Gaal also called a reporter a “fat man.”
Stay classy Louie!
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram