Manchester United’s players are reportedly as confused by Louis van Gaal’s decisions as the club’s fans.
The Dutchman has tinkered with formations since arriving at Old Trafford almost two years ago. Van Gaal has used Wayne Rooney as a holding midfielder, teenage striker Marcus Rashford as a right-back and Juan Mata as a winger.
However, Ashley Young being deployed as a striker against Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, while Anthony Martial remained on the wing, seems to be the last straw for United’s fans and, crucially, their players.
According to Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, a club source told him, following the 3-0 defeat to Spurs, that: “Players haven’t got a clue what the f**k his substitutions are all about.”
Needless to say, if the players are baffled by his decisions, and therefore fail to buy into his methods, it could spell even more trouble for the beleaguered United boss.
Van Gaal has a year left on his contract, but speculation over his position has been constant for the past few months, with Jose Mourinho tipped to replace him this summer.
