RANT ALERT: Man Utd Under Van Gaal Are Making Me Too Angry to Write

I have found myself wanting to write daily, but the anger and disappointment have been getting the better of me recently, and, like many of you no doubt, I’m just thinking “wake me up when this nightmare is over.” Although undeniably entertaining, the 3-3 against Newcastle on Tuesday hasn’t changed that.

I was hugely disappointed with the owners and the board when they appointed David Moyes, and was delighted when they realized he was never likely to cut it as the number one man at United. Van Gaal was never in my personal top 5 managers that I wanted to see at our club, but I figured he would be an improvement on Moyes. Quite quickly, I knew I wasn’t a fan of LvG, as I have been making clear on this blog for a long time now. I disliked the style of football he was trying to impose, saw that he had taken all the freedom of expression away from the players, and was basically ripping the heart and soul out of our great club. I will now go as far as to say he is a worse manager than David Moyes, and has taken us backwards, irrespective of where we may finish in the league this season.

For someone who has been watching United since the late 50s, I can honestly say this is the worst and most boring football I have seen from United other than during Dave Sexton’s short reign in the 70s. Considering the funds that Van Gaal has had to build his own squad, it is nothing short of disgraceful what is going on at United. Of course, it doesn’t help having an ex-banker running the club, who seems totally clueless when it comes to football matters. Woodward has undoubtedly done a good job around the world promoting and selling the United brand and bringing in substantial funds through sponsorships, but why didn’t the Glazers just leave him doing that rather than give him a level of power that he obviously can’t handle.

Let’s be real here – United should have brought in Mourinho to take over from Sir Alex. He would have stayed the 2-3 years we needed to keep winning; you can almost guarantee the silverware would have continued to flow had they brought in the man who really wanted the job. We then would probably have been the front runners to get Pep, Carlo or Klopp, or whoever but now, because of 2 massive blunders by Ed Woodward, we are looking more like City under Peter Swales or Liverpool of the 90s, and unless someone gets a serious grip fast, United are in dire straits and looking more and more like they are in need of a complete overhaul from top to bottom.

For me right now, with the situation we are in, it’s a no brainier – sack Van Gaal and appoint Giggs until the end of the season. He has 17 games in the league, FA Cup and Europa League to show what he can do – if he got us top 4 and pulled off decent cup runs, and who knows maybe a trophy, then his credentials would look more compelling, and he could well be our Pep, Luis Enrique or Zidane.

Of course all United fans would ideally love to see one of our own be a huge success as the next manager. But if Giggs doesn’t work out, who else is available? We know about Pep, and we have to presume he’s going to City, so there’s Simeone, Pochettino and Mourinho that immediately come to mind; my pick would be Pochettino, without any hesitation. He behaves in the right way for our club, has done well at Southampton and Spurs, promotes youth, and most importantly, he plays the game the way our 500 million fans expect.

It seems the vast majority of United followers want Van Gaal gone. I think fan pressure is what’s needed to get him out, whether it’s boycotting the stadium, chanting at games, or getting that plane back, the fans have the power to make Woodward do something, as that type of activity damages the brand and compromises relationships with sponsors.

I get so angry watching the garbage Van Gaal produces every week, and can’t accept that the Glazers and Woodward are allowing it to continue. Can you seriously imagine Real Madrid, Barca or Bayern allowing it to continue for so long? Just remember it’s been 18 months now of watching paint dry, and whilst we’re quick to criticise the trigger-happy approach at Real Madrid, look who’s got 10 European Cups and who’s got 3.

I hope next time I write, Giggsy has been announced as the manager, but I’m not holding my breath.