On Tuesday night, The Volkswagen Arena in Germany saw the back of Manchester United as they exited the UEFA Champions League. United bowed out in a game consistent with their new found love for beautiful-nonsense style of football. Two quick fire goals from Naldo and Vierinha cancelled out Anthony Martial's opener. Wolfsburg scored an own goal to level scores again before Naldo scored his second of the game during the dying minutes. A good thing though that United lost because if they had scaled through, morale would have still been high with the team and fans alike living in denial.
Manchester United, as have been the case this season lack pace, attacking vision and direct play. Passes in the final third have suddenly become a luxury to a team used to creating mouth watering chances. During the summer, United let many experienced players leave without adequate reinforcements. Robin Van Persie and Nani left for Fernabache, Chicharito left for Bayern Leverkusen and Angel Di Maria left for Paris St. Germain. United bought Anthony Martial from.AS Monaco to lead United's attack. Credit to the boy, he has delivered. But no one leaves a Manchester United attack to a 20 year old boy to run. No one. United should have brought in a seasoned campaigner to lead the front. Martial will develop into one of the most lethal, no doubt. But heaping United's attacking responsibility on him alone is asking for too much. Van Gaal's acclaimed philosophy have put the team in crisis. United will always end a game with the lion share of possession but mostly no goal. That, irritate United fans to the bone. How long it will be before a helicopter is flown over Old Trafford again as happened with David Moyes to protest the Manager's sack I can't tell. The team have become a shadow of itself. Yes, Sir Alex Ferguson will not return so the team has to move on but moving on should be to better things. Will United let the chance to sign Pep Guardiola who is touted to be free in the summer pass by? They should not. United's attack cannot kill a house fly. Truth be told. Van Gaal should either change fortunes drastically and soon enough or leave.
Paul Scholes have been a fierce critic of his former club. United's exit in the hands of Wolfsburg yesterday vindicated him. United play the beautiful nonsense kind of football. All passing and no action. Very impotent kind of game. Boring, to the least. Opponents are no longer scared of the team because they know United is a barking dog that cannot bite. The buck, in my opinion stop at Van Gaal's table. He should turn the fortunes of the team around or if he is too rigid to do that, quit. Football fans who used to attain orgasm with United's attacking play now watch expecting no breath taking action.
I had expected United to continue with Ryan Giggs as Supremo the way he ended the season David Moyes started. The management however, had other plans. Louis Van Gaal is a wonderful manager no doubt. His philosophy, for reasons known and unknown is not working. I maintain, he either cooks together an abracadabra to turn things around and take away the boredom that comes with watching United nowadays or quit.
Photo credit: bbc.com
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