United suffered their sixth defeat of the season but it was an all-too-familiar story as the players laboured in attack, intensifying the pressure on the Dutchman's tactics
The reaction to Southampton’s winning goal said it all. Fans flooded out of Old Trafford, with most around the press box shouting vociferously at the need for the media to express just how bad Manchester United had played.
In a season of horrific, turgid performances, the 1-0 defeat on Saturday was undoubtedly the worst yet.
Louis van Gaal has admitted previously that even he has been bored at times by his side’s play this term, and there can be no disguising how stunted, lifeless and downright awful United’s performance was against a Saints team who did what so many have done at Old Trafford by keeping things tight and exploiting the home side at the back.
The Dutchman’s walk to the tunnel at full-time was greeted with waves goodbye and the thumbs-down signal typical of olden-day Roman arenas. There was nothing gladiatorial about United’s performance today, and the fact that it has become typical cannot be overlooked.
In recent weeks they have simply been riding their luck. Constant returns of one or two shots on target in a 90-minute period have been belied by the results, and a day like today was always likely to be around the corner.
No longer can United sit back and let this continue. Charlie Austin’s late headed winner was the second effort on target in the entire game, almost 80 minutes after Daley Blind’s speculative long-ranger had found the secure grasp of Fraser Forster in the Saints goal. That is not what teams used to experience when arriving in M16.
United’s play too often broke down in midfield, while crosses either found the first man or cleared everyone. It was the same old story. Eleven first-half periods without a goal in their home stadium says much for how impotent this Manchester United are, and stories from season-ticket holders of 60-year associations with the club that have never before seen such depths are not uncommon.
Something has to be done, and the future of Louis van Gaal surely doesn’t lie at Manchester United. He claimed some weeks ago that United fans should have known what they were getting due to his record for pragmatic rather than dramatic football, but they could never have guessed it would get quite this bad.
The time has come for United to return to the football that built their name. And that means the end of Van Gaal. The fans have had enough, and surely the board are quickly developing the same opinion.
- Goal