Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
– Dylan Thomas
I am rather certain the late Dylan Thomas would not have approved of Louis van Gaal’s methods of burning and raving in the twilight of his managerial career. For a man who was supposed to return Manchester United to the top echelons of English and European football, some of his words and actions have surely been to the contrary, as any Manchester United supporter would agree. The only person who wouldn’t agree is probably Ed Woodward, who spends his days dreaming of new potential sponsors – just like any other Chief Executive would.
Let me put this straight, I am not a big fan of giving Louis van Gaal the sack. The man knows what needs to be done, and how to instill footballing sense in most footballers. Manchester United’s record against the top 6 teams in the Premier League speaks for itself – van Gaal knows how to prepare for the big games. It is the lower opposition which has been the bane of van Gaal’s philosophy.
Be it the group stages of the Champions League, or the much maligned Europa League, it appears that Van Gaal’s United had an underwhelming approach to the occasion. The players, and the game-play, looked laboured and disinterested. Was it a case of the players not buying into the philosophy?