Rojo and Rooney out for West Ham game
Bilic says that news on Diafra Sakho (thigh muscle) is “not good” meaning they will “be without him for a few games”. He’s lifted the World Cup with his national team, countless domestic titles and a Champions League with Bayern Munich.
The Toon have endured a miserable season to date and sit second from bottom in the Premier League.
Van Gaal insists he has a good relationship with his players, but should that change, he will leave his post.
Van Gaal mistakenly thinks the fans want to see more balls played into the box and claims he would never go with a targetman up front to suit that direct style.
Now Van Gaal has admitted that his position at the club will be in doubt if he felt the players no longer supported his methods.
This game is a results business, we are persistently informed, yet Van Gaal is now caught up in a firestorm that undermines that notion.
Experienced, successful coaches are less will to adapt and alter what has worked for them in the past and it may be that in Trapattoni and Van Gaal, we have two men who tried to revive former glories when their sell by date had expired.
On the 10th Anniversary of the passing of one of United’s greatest players, George Best, failure to make home advantage count could prove costless for the European campaign this season.
The Daily Express says that former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is top of the Red Devils wish-list, as they prepare for life after Van Gaal’s retirement in 18 months time.
‘Rooney shall not play his 500th game because he is more injured than I thought. It’s been getting worse but we have to let him train to make the ankle stronger, that’s very important.
“I think it’s very important that the fans are supporting the team”, he said. With Jones out, Van Gaal’s defensive options are limited – aside from the makeshift Blind – and McNair should be called upon by his manager, partnering the resolute Chris Smalling in defence. “We are looking but it is not for sure”, he said.
“The week after next we have two weeks that we can have more recovery”, he added.
“But narrow victories are still victories”.
20 goals in 14 league games is not what they’ve grown accustomed to, nor is five scoreless performances between the league and Champions League a common occurrence. They are having the ball, they are not giving you the ball and defending.
“You can’t play quicker because you need gaps and space behind the opponent”. I don’t find them boring – they are hard to beat.