.Manager warns Sanchez, others as club trashes Man U 4-0
Louis van Gaal said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer “parks the bus right in front of David de Gea” as he criticised the Manchester United manager again.
Solskjaer signed a permanent three-year deal last month after overseeing an upturn in results at United.
However, the Red Devils have struggled since.
United – sixth in the Premier League and two points adrift of the top four – have won two of their past seven matches in all competitions following a 4-0 Champions League quarter-final exit to Barcelona.
Former United boss Van Gaal, who initially questioned Solskjaer’s approach after replacing Jose Mourinho in December, insisted that the club favourite was defensive in his tactics.
“I can see how Ole had some impact in the beginning, because United were ninth in the table when he took over and the team was nothing,” Van Gaal said via the Mirror. “United had been playing anti-football, as I call it, but don’t think that Ole isn’t afraid to park the bus either — he is more defensive than you think.
“I have been watching the team, because I always look at United still, and Ole parked the bus against Arsenal. He did it against Tottenham in the league. And at stages against Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona in the Champions League.
“He plays against all the big teams like that. The emphasis is more on defending than on attacking or wanting to play dominant football. I actually call it parking the bus. Ole does it not just outside the 18-yard box. He parks the bus right in front of [goalkeeper] David de Gea.”
Van Gaal – who was sacked by United after winning the FA Cup in 2016 – added: “When United play that way, they play 4-4-2 and play counter attacking football with Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku. They are gambling on the speed of those two because they are faster than their opponents when they get the space. Rashford’s pace is incredible. You don’t catch him when he breaks away.
“But if Man United want to be a dominant force in Europe again – and in England – they have to have a different playing style.
“The problem as a foreign manager is that you find out that the English football culture is different from Germany and Spain. In those countries, you work on things in training. In England, everything is done by playing matches. They get fitter or gain stamina by playing lots of matches. It is a culture you cannot change easily. I wanted to change things, but it proved very difficult.”
Meanwhile,
Alexis Sanchez and his Manchester United team-mates have been issued a stark warning to start performing by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warned Alexis Sanchez and his Manchester United team-mates that the Red Devils cannot carry players as he looks to restore the club’s former glories.
The United manager has made no secret of his belief that helping United challenge at the top in the Premier League and in Europe will be a long-term project at Old Trafford.
Five defeats in their past seven competitive outings has taken the shine off the fine start Solskjaer enjoyed in the Old Trafford hotseat and his frustration at the dip in standards has been evident.
The future of Sanchez is sure to come under scrutiny ahead of a close-season of rebuilding at United, with the Chile forward having continually struggled for form and fitness since joining from Arsenal in January 2018.
With just two goals to his name all season, Sanchez may be deemed surplus to requirements, although his hefty wages – which are reported to amount to more than £400,000 a week when accounting for bonuses – could prove a stumbling block.
And Solskjaer warned that every player in the squad must show a desire to succeed.
“As a club we cannot carry players,” Solskjaer said. “Everyone has to take ownership, keep improving, show that hunger that you want to get better individually and as a team.
“I’m not just talking about Alexis. Everyone is under the same demands. But if we are talking about Alexis, he hasn’t been lucky with injuries.
“Since I came in, he’s had two long-term injuries and that hasn’t been beneficial to him. Some other players have had injuries as well. But I see the characters we have. I am looking at who we should keep, who we should move on.
“Alexis has got a fantastic talent when he’s at his best level. Now we want him performing for us.”
United traveled to Goodison Park on Sunday and lost woefully to Everton, which trashed them 4-0.