Louis van Gaal arrived at United with high expectations. David Moyes had a torrid time at United, as he could not stamp his mark on the team. Under Louis van Gaal, fans felt that there would be nothing of the sort, as he has had a successful career, but reputations have gone for a toss at this point. United have been below-par, and the fourth-place finish that was expected, is also slipping away. United learnt from their mistake of offering Moyes a six-year contract, and have offered Louis van Gaal a shorter contract.
Louis van Gaal started off at United, by getting top players to the club and doing well in the Guinness Cup, which raised hopes and made Moyes’ fledgling time at United seem worse. Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo were added to United’s Gaalacticos. However, their good preseason form was an aberration, as United flattered to deceive. Their form this season has depended on strokes of genius from their top players, which has helped them salvage games. Angel di Maria showed signs of consistency, but has been kept quiet in recent games.
If the inconsistent form has not been enough, United have been hit badly by injuries. There might have been poor performances, such as the 5-3 defeat to Leicester, but the injuries to two players in the same position have affected the balance of the team. In their last game, the defence ended the game with Antonio Valencia, a right-sided midfielder who played at right-back; Patrick McNair, a youth player who has got a chance due to injuries to the senior players, Michael Carrick, a defensive midfielder, and Luke Shaw, a precocious young budding left-back.
Questions were asked about the balance of the team, as United had gone for attack over defence in expensive transfers such as Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao. It is thus, obvious that Louis van Gaal will not be secure in his job if he does not deliver at the end of the year. David Moyes stuck to the team under Ferguson, not spending too much, yet was sacked when he didn’t steer United to a spot in Europe. However, Louis van Gaal has spent a lot, in purchasing top players and adding them to the United squad. We all know van Gaal is a much better than Moyes, but that tag alone will not save his job.