Manchester United’s players are unhappy with Louis van Gaal. Join the queue and wear comfortable shoes.
Make no mistake, Louis van Gaal is coming to the end of his managerial career at Old Trafford.
The only, genuine surprise is that he is still occupying dug-out seats, answering queries from journalists and picking Manchester United teams. How is he still in a job? It is hard to tell.
The latest ignominy arrived on Thursday with a 2-1 Europa League loss to FC Midtjylland – the club’s 11th of the season.
You will find little argument left from even the most faithful of the United faithful. They know van Gaal’s time is up. It’s almost as if he got an armful of drinks in at last orders and is refusing to leave until he can sip his purchases in comfort.
The mutiny
The latest revelations from United will shock no-one. Certain senior players have apparently reached out to The Guardian to let it be known that they’ve had it with their Dutch overlord.
Van Gaal has lost the confidence of his main men, the senior players have declared, and José Mourinho is their preferred option as his replacement.
Fantastic. Fair play to them.
To United fans, and even gleeful neutrals, this phrasing must rankle:
‘Although there is a recognition those on the field must take their share of responsibility for uneven form… ‘
How kind of these multi-millionaires to acknowledge that successive defeats to woeful Sunderland and a Danish side that had not played a competitive game in two months are not on.
The only players who appeared to give a toss, on Thursday, were goalkeeper Sergio Romero and Donald Love – even though he played far from the perfect game – at right back. The United starting XI for the game cost just shy of £160m. The Dane’s cost about £6m.
It is clear as day to any true football fan that most of United’s players have checked out for the season. A similar mutiny happened under David Moyes and it is happening again. They are trying to coast to the end of the season and are hoping to pick up a decent result or two on the way.
Football does not work this way.
It is hard to feel much sympathy for van Gaal, who has been short-sighted, obstinate and quick to turf out players who don’t tow his line for most of his United reign.
There are two moments in recent months that do elicit some pity:
- Manchester United are 3-2 against Newcastle in the final eight minutes when Marouane Fellaini heads straight at Rob Elliot, from five yards out, with the goal gaping. The game ends 3-3 after a cruelly deflected equaliser.
- Midtjylland striker Ebere Paul Onuachu backheels the ball onto his own shin by accident but neither Paddy McNair or Michael Carrick react by nipping in to clear the danger. Onuachu then wins a 20/80 challenge with Juan Mata, who isn’t bothered, and drives home the winner.
Manchester United’s senior players don’t want Louis van Gaal. They want Mourinho and appear to have put their talents, passion and commitments to the fans on strike until they get their way.
They should realise that Mourinho, if he has a whit of wit about him, will tell half of them to sling their hooks.
