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Post by matt on Feb 23, 2015 19:58:50 GMT
People have really short memories if they think we're not better off performance wise than we were last season. We're a far more solid side and we're controlling possession in most games. Have we all forgotten the amount of times we were dominated by the opposition last season? At this point last season we'd already lost 8 league games. Indeed. Obviously we're asking more from him and the team, but there is no denying that he has made us a stronger team. The way I see it, this is season is primarily about restoring some basics and hopefully reach the top-4. People may moan about our defence as much as they want, we still have the 4th best defence in the league, we have lost 5 games, only CHelsea and City have done better. So clearly, Van Gaal is doing a few things right, especially at the back regardless of what people may think. The way we press the opposition is also much better and much more suited to European football. The reason why it takes so much time imo is because it was a completely different approach under SAF. An approach that may have been effective in England, but which became ridiculously ineffective in the last few years in Europe. The way I understand it, LVG is trying to cope with and adjust to the BPL (let's all remember that it is his first season in English football), while preparing and modernising the team for the European challenge. Finding that balance between English and continental football is in my opinion extremely difficult. Look at City who owned the league the past seasons, and who yet looked ridiculous in Europe. Look at Arsenal who are always playing third/fourth fiddle in England yet never quite reaching the final stage in Europe. Or Chelsea who always struggle massively in the latter stage in Europe. Or us and Pool who were kicked off by Basel. My point is: perhaps we're too quick to judge Van Gaal in the sense that he may be thinking long-term and not just getting into the top-4 by all means. Sure, he has to, and he has made sacrifice and ditched his philosofy a few times. But perhaps he wants to teach us and find a way to develop a football that will be effective both in England and on the European stage. And that takes time, as only one or two managers in recent years have managed to find that balance. I am sure he knows what he is doing, although it is frustrating for us. I won't judge Van Gaal until after next January. At that point, we will have a clear view of his "philosophy". |
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Post by howAREya on Feb 23, 2015 20:03:00 GMT
 Can't say I want to think about it though, yet. |
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Post by Splendid Spy on Feb 24, 2015 0:25:14 GMT
People may moan about our defence as much as they want, we still have the 4th best defence in the league, we have lost 5 games, only CHelsea and City have done better. So clearly, Van Gaal is doing a few things right, especially at the back regardless of what people may think. I have to disagree with you here Matt. Although statistically we look good at the back, it's pretty obvious we have issues at the back. poor communications between our CBs, defenders out of position , individual errors happened all the time during matches. A combination of poor finishing by the opposition, luck , good goalkeeping from De Gea and teams not wanting to attack more after they have scored (there are quite a number of games where we have either drew or lost by a single goal after our opponents have scored a winner or an equalizer and went into defend mode) are the reasons why we aren't conceding too many goals this season. We can also argue the fact that although we have been having the majority of the ball in most of the matches, the chances we have created had been far and few. With the abundance of talents we have at our disposal, we should be creating more for our strikers. Most of it were down to tactics imo. I am also rather pissed with the attitude shown by certain stars in our teams, i.e RVP, Falcao, Di Maria for showing lack of effort and not giving their all sometimes in games. Di Maria have been really poor lately. At the start of the season, the imbecile twat Piers Morgan was saying that Di Maria is a poor man's Alexis Sanchez. The statement looked preposterous then but now it's looking rather magnanimous. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2015 8:40:23 GMT
VG has been really smart to cover up the deficiencies of defence, keeping things out wide, switching play, keeping possession, putting Rooney in midfield, are all methods of avoiding a weak midfield putting pressure on a shaky defence. But why they (Woodward and VG) didn't buy a rock of CB who could distribute, even if it was only temporary cover, is still a large oversight for me. It's fine and dandy saying "We'll wait for Hummells, or x" but we needed one then and now.
CM he thought he would have a fit Carrick for most of the season, so I can understand the thinking there. Just.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2015 8:42:26 GMT
That's cruel. Missing a year in CL means we drop into pot 2? even though we were in every CL tournament since 96 and were in the finals and semis from 2006 until 2010 ?Who are ahead of us? It's based on the last 5 seasons including the current one. It's only really the final in 2011 that is keeping us as high as we are. One final, an exit at the group stage, a round of 16, a quarter final and not even qualifying isn't exactly a record to write home about. |
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Post by Splendid Spy on Feb 24, 2015 10:36:36 GMT
Well, we have to do it the hard way then just like in 99.
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Post by Kaushik on Feb 24, 2015 12:02:27 GMT
There you go then, you're admitting that it's only an issue when you disagree with him. He has played van Persie a lot but is it really regardless of form? I admit it's felt like that at times but given the competition that he's had it isn't that surprising how much he's been used. And whilst we have all had our moans about Rooney in midfield he's played either up front or No.10 in 3 of the 5 defeats this season and I read somewhere that our points per game rate is better with him in midfield, although I haven't checked that. Herrera, again whilst I am a fan, he's started 3 of the 5 defeats and has started in all 3 of the games that we've conceded more than 1 goal. In 26 league games this season, we've started a back 3 in 12 (and had a different midfield shape in half of those) and a back 4 in 14, to say he's stubbornly stuck by 3-5-2 is nonsense. Whilst I'm far from satisfied with how this season has panned out and whilst my patience is too starting to wear thin, there is still a logic to every decision we've complained about. To say we've been poor because of his stubbornness is nonsense as far as I'm concerned, especially when I think if/when he does turn it round I'd be willing to bet people will hold his stubbornness to his values up as one of his virtues. I didnt mean like if it works I agree and if it doesnt then I disagree, what I mean is if he starts to put forward his ego than the welfare of the team then I dont agree with him. With 3-5-2 we didnt create many chanes and still we played 12 matches, that is stubbornness imo, its like he was trying to show everyone that 3-5-2 works. I just cant trust him next season if he doesnt get us CL football because of the reason I have mentioned and his stubbornness, ego and arrogance. But this season I support him, so he should continue if he get us into top 4 or he should get the sack. |
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Post by Nemanja79 on Feb 24, 2015 13:47:50 GMT
With 3-5-2 we didnt create many chanes and still we played 12 matches, that is stubbornness imo, its like he was trying to show everyone that 3-5-2 works. To me, it looked like he was covering for obvious deficiencies at the back. |
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Post by Kaushik on Feb 24, 2015 14:11:17 GMT
Did we looked solid at the back with 3-5-2? its just we got lucky in some matches
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Post by Nemanja79 on Feb 24, 2015 14:28:14 GMT
Did we looked solid at the back with 3-5-2? its just we got lucky in some matches It's true, we rode our luck many times but I think we looked more solid, yeah, but I don't mean that we played better football with that shape or any other. It got us results and that appears as the most important thing in this moment in time. In every setup under the sun we've tried, there were some flaws which tells me that van Gaal is flexible enough to try different things until he gets it right, opposed to what some are suggesting. The thing is, confidence was sucked out of the team last year and winning mentality has gone toilet way. Someone needs to bring that back. There is no real leader amongst the current players, so it has to be "an arrogant, stubborn, iron fist Dutch Stalin" as some calls him, Koeman and that tycoon for example. |
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