Louis van Gaal

It may already be January, but considering the sheer amount of injuries that have barraged our squad since the start of the season, it's reasonable that he hasn't fully figured out what our best starting line-up is. Although I really think we should not be continuing with a back three, at least LVG is displaying much more tactical awareness and astuteness than Moyes ever did. I would personally place Blind as our central defensive midfield, Fellaini/Carrick and Herrera in central midfield, and Di Maria in the hole along with a back four, a front two and De Gea- that I believe is the strongest we could field. However, for all we know, Blind may not turn out to be a big success (still think he's a very good signing, but it's only the first couple of months and he's been injured), and there are still players like Mata and Januzaj who I hope have futures at the club.

I just hope that Van Gaal can ditch the back three (just doesn't seem to work for United) and can bring the best out of all our summer signings, including Di Maria who despite his obvious talent still hasn't really fulfilled himself at United. We could always wish for silly things, like United winning the title at a canter this season, but the realistic target was always Top 4, and despite an impressive Southampton side and an improving Arsenal team breathing down our necks, we are more than on the way to achieving that.

It seems not:

Louis van Gaal says playing a 4-4-2 with Manchester United 'twitches my ass' because side is 'out of balance'

Manager adapts Sir Alex Ferguson's 'squeaky bum time' to describe how the fans' preferred formation makes him shift uneasily in his seat


Stand up guy: Louis van Gaal reveals that 4-4-2 has a strange effect on him Photo: GETTY IMAGES

By Mark Ogden

10:30PM GMT 22 Jan 2015

Louis van Gaal has responded to demands by Manchester United supporters for the team to return to their traditional 4-4-2 formation with the bizarre claim that deploying the system “twitches my ass” on the bench.

With injuries ruling centre-halves Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling out of Friday night’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium, Van Gaal is likely to return to 4-4-2 against the League Two outfit having recently reimposed his controversial 3-5-2 system on the squad.

Van Gaal was subjected to prolonged chants of “4-4-2” by United’s travelling fans during last Saturday's Premier League encounter with Queens Park Rangers, which resulted in a 2-0 victory after the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach abandoned 3-5-2 at half-time.

Van Gaal has switched between the two formations this season with mixed results, but while the Dutchman concedes his players remain “uncomfortable” playing 3-5-2, he insists that 4-4-2 leads to anxiety on the bench due to the team’s inability to defend properly in that formation.

“I know that with 4-4-2, the stats are showing positive results,” Van Gaal said. “We have won more games playing 4-4-2 with a diamond, but when you analyse the game, we have twitched our ass on the bench.

“I said to my players I was squeezing my ass, but it was the wrong expression – I have twitched my ass on the bench because we were out of balance.

“When you go back to the press conferences at the time, I have said that we are not in balance [with 4-4-2]. We lost the game against Leicester City 5-3 and that was undeserved, and all the matches when we played 4-4-2, like against West Ham United, it was always twitching your ass and I don’t like it.

“But maybe then you see, after I switch the system, we have won nine or 10 in a row. Then we lose one match [against Southampton] and the discussion about the system is coming, so it is ridiculous.”

Van Gaal’s search for a reliable system which enables United to attack with vigour and defend with conviction has led the manager to deploy players out of position in an effort to make the formation work.

Ashley Young, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, has impressed after being converted to a wing-back, but £59.7 million British-record signing Ángel di María has appeared lost while playing in a central striker role as opposed to his usual attacking midfield position.

“He [Di María] played in the 4-4-2 in the left midfield position,” Van Gaal said. “In the 3-5-2, he does not play so much because he has been injured. But he came back and I tried him as a striker because we need also pace in our striker’s position.

“We have to stretch the pitch – that is also an important aspect of a striker that he can stretch the pitch – and then you make the pitch bigger and your midfielders can play in a bigger space and play a better positional game. I tried that because I didn’t have the preparation time at the beginning of the season.

“Nevertheless, in the last 15 games, we only lost one and that was undeserved. We were the better team. But the players are still not comfortable [with 3-5-2) and it is very important that they are comfortable.

“I would like them to feel more comfortable, but we have to do our preparation in the season, so we are doing a lot of things during the matches.”

Despite the scrutiny and criticism he has been forced to bear from the club’s supporters and former players including Gary Neville, who claimed 3-5-2 was too slow and risk averse, Van Gaal insists he will not change his approach.

“I have to take into account 600 million opinions?” Van Gaal said. “I have to communicate with my players, observe and analyse my players and my opponent and then I have to make a decision with my staff.

“But I cannot hear or listen to what the media are writing or what other people are saying or writing because they are never at the training ground and not attending the meetings.”

United travel to Cambridge, the lowest-ranked team remaining in the FA Cup, facing the prospect of the club’s longest trophy drought since the 1980s if they fail to win the competition this season.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the 1990 FA Cup triumph triggered a run where United never went more than two seasons without major silverware prior to his retirement in 2013.

But with United aiming to win the Cup for the first time in 11 years, Van Gaal has warned that Cambridge are capable of pulling off a shock.

“We have to beat Cambridge United and it is Gladioli or the death,” Van Gaal said. “I shall have another criticism if we lose. When you analyse Cambridge, they play very direct with long balls and they have five or six players above 1.90 metres, so for us it is difficult to defend.

“That is why you have to prepare yourself very well. It is not so easy to beat Cambridge United, there are always surprises and I hope we are not the surprise.”

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/11364211/Louis-van-Gaal-says-playing-a-4-4-2-with-Manchester-United-twitches-my-ass-because-side-is-out-of-balance.html

What a load of twaddle but I guess it's Like it or Lump it..

I'm still hoping that, he gets the players he wants and finds that balance so we see a back four next season.

He's got a massive Summer ahead tha's for sure, it's gonna make or break him / us. Obviously he needs to get the squad balance right and sort the defence and midfield (nothing changes) out. I have no idea who's for the chop now tho, players I thought would be cleared out seem to have turned a corner and vice-versa (I know who I'd like to see out).

I think it'll be a very busy Summer indeed, Van Gaal needs to decide how best to play in the Premier League to win. I think he'll have a shrewd idea now he's fully experienced English football and what's entailed. I just hope the board don't allow too many stupid decisions and guide the guy, I'd hate to see Janazai leave for anything other than a short term loan spell.

Lets hope we don't have to make up new excuses for why we're playing poor then and that this has the desired effect.