Manchester United 2015-2016

Revealed: The true cost of Van Gaal deal


Van Gaal stands to earn £400,000 if United triumph in the FA Cup on May 21
Bradley Ormesher for The Times

£8m salary and United must pay £5m to sack him

Louis van Gaal will lose out on more than £1 million of his annual salary at Manchester United if his side fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The Times has learnt that more than half of Van Gaal’s £8 million annual package is based on a series of performance-related, loyalty and image rights clauses.
The Dutchman will get a £400,000 bonus if United win the FA Cup and a £5 million payoff if he is sacked at end season

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/article4743047.ece

I dun think it's about money where MUFC is concerned. It's a club in transition and I mean across the board. It's moving ever so slowly. Sigh.....

Look around the market, there are only a few elite managers that can go head to head w conte n Guardiola. Except for simonone, LVG and Mourinho.

LVG unfortunately has so far failed to live up to his reputation. Getting rid of van pussy I can understand but also clearing Hernandez who go on to shine in Bundesliga is head scratching. Getting di Maria was a coup but failing to get the best out of him and tweaking the team to work w him is unbelivable.

I am ok to pardon him for Falcao. But with the existing squad he should have done better. Specially sickening was the possession play that reeks lack of idea lack of balls moving forwards and devoid of speed. That is his greatest sin.

Neither Rojo nor Blind should be marking a giant like Williams. Where is fosu ? Where is jones ? Both would fare better assuming Smalling is tied up marking the other centre back.

Then when it's 1-1 he took off lingard perhaps due to his yellow card but he sacrificed speed and slowed the entire game. Mata and Herrera seems lightweight. Rashfird out means no height. Depay and marshal cannot link up, no chemistry.

Sometimes I wonder if we will fare better had shaw wasn't injured so early in the season.

Well said bro. There aren't many top acts left in the managerial pool. The club is in a nasty dilemma as firing LVG could mean the end of any hopes for the young players of ever playing at the senior level. The kids won the under 21 league and that says a lot about the talent available. If Mou comes, it would mean the end of the road for some of these budding talent.

If a technical director is not in place before Mou's arrival (which is likely IMO), we're going to repeat the same mistake Chelsea made when they first appoint Mou.in 2002. Mind you. this guy is a cold blooded spendthrift and has no qualms about spending other people's money to achieve success. Is this what United fans want?What happens when he leaves? Are we to pick up the pieces all over again?

If LVG stays, we are pretty much going to see more of the same- uninspiring football. The kids will have their chance to shine and by the end of his term, whatever changes that is forthcoming to the facility, academy and its ancillary structures would be put in place.

As a United fan,my heart yearns for the football passion that Mou would most certainly infused. My head tells me otherwise. What LVG has done and will likely carry out is to lay the foundation of future successes. This will take time, a lot of angst and we'll probably lose some commercial opportunities, interest and support globally.

If it were left to me to decide (wishful thinking), I'd go right to the end of the wire with LVG. Sack him and we'll be stooping at our noisy neighbour's level as well as Chelsea. Let us remind ourselves that the Manager is only part of the equation. Performance and execution rest with the players. We were champions before and we'll be champions again.

Manchester United starlet Marcus Rashford
close to signing bumper new £1.3m-a-year contract at Old Trafford

• Marcus Rashford, 18, has enjoyed an exceptional breakthrough season
• The Manchester United youngster is close to signing £1.3m-a-year deal
• Dwaine Maynard, Rashford's older brother, is handling business affairs
• He currently earns £1,500-a-week but that figure will rise to £25,000

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...year-contract-Old-Trafford.html#ixzz47xPpehN7

Wtf no marshal no rashford no lingard. Prepare for snooze fest. LVG is clearly giving up on 4th place.

Rojo is undermining the team

Flat performance by Red Devils. Thank god for Mata's do.
Clueless yet again, with lone Rooney striker upfront.
Bloody tinker, back to his stubborn ways of not using traditional 2 forwards.

Gents, you reckon #4 theoretically possible? Hope that wanker fella fix the noisy neighbours.
Ultimate game is home to lowly Bournemouth (after away to Hammers)

When is the last time Man U score more than a goal ? And when is it he last time they win by a 2 goal margin in the premier league match ? Seems ages.

That is how toothless we have became.

Friends urge Giggs to quit if Man Utd appoint Mourinho

Ryan Giggs will walk if Manchester United appoint Jose Mourinho as new manager.

The People says Giggs will leave United if Mourinho is appointed to replace Louis van Gaal.

The Red Devils legend has been told by the Class of 92 to walk out on Old Trafford if he is overlooked in favour of the Special One.

Giggs feels he needs to gain experience at the top level if he does not become the next United manager.

However, the Welshman realises if he was to fail at his next club he would likely never be given the chance to manage at Old Trafford in the future.

- See more at: http://www.tribalfootball.com/artic...appoint-mourinho-4128677#sthash.EgFmaQ6f.dpuf

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Be patient Giggs. You've learnt from the best - Ferguson and LVG and you can learn alot more if Mou comes. Your time will come.

Final stretch? :p

And if we falter away in London vs West Ham (tough encounter)....mathematical evaluation. Down to the wire :o

CAN UNITED FINISH IN THE TOP FOUR AFTER NORWICH WIN?


After Manchester United beat Norwich City on Saturday and local rivals Manchester Citycould only draw with Arsenal a day later, the Reds now find themselves in a promising position to qualify for next season’s Champions’ League.

United’s unspectacular victory over Norwich at Carrow Road put them just one point behind rivals City having played the same amount of games.
However, after City drew with Arsenal on Sunday, United are now two points behind their local rivals with a game in hand, meaning they will leapfrog the Blues into fourth place if they win their final two matches.

Therefore, the Reds now have their destiny in their own hands. However, having played poorly at Carrow Road on Saturday and with a difficult match against West Ham coming up on Tuesday, United’s fate for this season is far from certain yet.

Regardless of how the match with West Ham finishes, though, the Reds will still have the chance to sneak into fourth spot when they face Bournemouth at Old Trafford in the lastPremier League match of the season next Sunday.

However, the Reds are just two places above seventh-placed West Ham in the table and only four points ahead of them, and that alone suggests that match will be an incredibly tough one to win, and perhaps the most important one to succeed in en route to any possible Champions’ League participation next season.
Also, consider West Ham’s fantastic home record in the League this season and the fact that this will be their last ever match at their current Boleyn Ground home, then United will do extremely well to emerge with three points in East London.

Realistically, United need to beat the Hammers on Tuesday or they will hand the initiative back to Manchester City, although they also have a tricky away game on the horizon against Swansea City next Sunday.

The Reds could still qualify for the Champions’ League should they fail to beat West Ham, but would then be relying on City to drop the same amount of points when they faceSwansea on Sunday. United’s far inferior goal difference means they simply must finish with more points than their rivals to finish fourth.

An unlikely third-placed finish is also still possible for Louis van Gaal’s men, but that would require both City and Arsenal to lose next weekend against Swansea and Aston Villarespectively, along with United winning both of their matches. It seems improbable that all of those events will take place and see the Reds finish third.

The Reds can still finish anywhere between third and eighth depending on their own and other side’s results, so in order to push as high up the table as possible and hopefully achieve a Champions’ League place for next season, United must begin by performing much better than they did against Norwich on Saturday.

http://readmanutd.com/2016/05/08/can-united-finish-top-four-norwich-win/

Upton Park stages its final competitive match on Tuesday after 112 years
TEAM NEWS

West Ham goalkeeper Adrian is the only injury absentee for the club's final game at Upton Park after 112 years.
The Spaniard is out with a calf injury so Darren Randolph will deputise.
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is a doubt after withdrawing from Saturday's win at Norwich because of a tight hamstring.
Matteo Darmian is sidelined by an ankle injury and Marouane Fellaini is banned, but Daley Blind and Marcus Rashford could be recalled.

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "It's a big game for a couple of reasons and one of them is that this is the last game ever at Upton Park. Then, if you add to that it's a very important game for us and for Manchester United, as both teams need to win the game, it makes it mega-big!

"It's a special one and a once-in-a-lifetime kind of game. It's going to be emotional but we have to channel those emotions to be our motivator in order to win.
"One part of me is happy we are moving forward with more capacity and everything, but another part of me will miss this special kind of stadium. It's like a home."
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal: "We have to win our matches because otherwise we cannot be in the first four - that's the pressure that we have. We have to fight until the end.

"West Ham are a very good team - it's not for nothing they're in the top six of the table. We were lucky in the FA Cup. I think we deserved to win but we were lucky West Ham had a goal disallowed in the last minute."

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Manchester United are unbeaten in the last 14 Premier League meetings (W11, D3).
• The Hammers have failed to score in eight of the last 13 league encounters.

West Ham United

• This will be West Ham's 384th and final Premier League game at Upton Park. A win will take them to 601 points at home in the competition (W167, D97, L119).
• Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Swansea was their worst home loss of the season - and first at Upton Park since August.
• That result also ended West Ham's 10-match unbeaten run, as well as their Champions League hopes.
• The Hammers have only averaged 0.93 points from Premier League games played on a Tuesday (P29, W6, D9, L14). Manchester United have averaged an unrivalled 2.19 points from Tuesday fixtures (P43, W28, D10, L5),

Manchester United

• Louis van Gaal's side have lost only once in their last seven Premier League games (W5, D1).
• They need two points to surpass their lowest ever Premier League tally of 64 points.
• United have kept a league-high 18 clean sheets this season.
• Wayne Rooney has scored 11 times in 15 Premier League appearances against West Ham, including a record seven goals at Upton Park by a visiting player.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36189168

Why sticking with LVG will have Man Utd go same way as Arsenal

by Chris Beattie2 days ago

COMMENT: Look south, Manchester United fans. For your future, look to North London. Because another season under Louis van Gaal and your United will be on its way to becoming the Arsenal of the north.

The agreement is still in place. Jose Mourinho will take charge of United when Van Gaal steps aside in June. But there's a caveat. And this is where the United support enters the picture.

If Ed Woodward, the United vice-chairman exec, senses a groundswell of backing for LVG to continue, it will be the easiest and most welcome decision he's had to make. He will stick with the Dutchman.

And with the club in the FA Cup final and now a real, genuine chance of a fourth place finish, there is a growing belief the backlash of going with Van Gaal over Mourinho would be minimal.

For those in Mourinho's corner, there has been some shards of light this weekend. It seems fans are voting with their feet. At anyother club, an FA Cup final and top four finish would have supporters clamouring to renew their season tickets. But not at United. Season ticket sales are lagging behind previous years at Old Trafford. There's an apparent freeze from fans as they wait to see which way Woodward goes.

This isn't just about the identity of the man in the dugout. It's about the identity of a club and where it sees itself. What do United fans want? Glazernomics or trophies? What do you want from your manager? A winner in the form of Mourinho? Or Van Gaal, who said just last week that "expectations are too high" at Manchester United. Expectations are too high at the biggest club in the world? The biggest in sport? Three years ago, you'd be falling off your chair hearing Sir Alex Ferguson say that. But today...?

The Glazers would love to replicate the mentality of Arsenal and Stan Kroenke. Nearly enough is good enough. A regular top four finish. The odd Cup win. And the money just keeps rolling in. Those who believe in the best of Arsenal. Those who see what could be achieved. Their protests are drowned out. Or they get fed-up and buy into Everton...

This is what awaits United. Van Gaal has already has sent out his message. Those critics are asking too much. We can't achieve what you're demanding with the squad we have.

But, of course, this isn't a typical modern Manchester United squad. Expectations have been lowered by the youth and the promise of the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. United are building for the future. You can't set the bar too high. Remind you of anything, Gooners?

There's some who cling to hope that Van Gaal is building the next, great United team. That he should be allowed to it see through to the end. But nothing will change. Indeed, Van Gaal will be emboldened. His methods work. The paint-by-numbers football. The shallow squad. The battles with senior players. None of this will go away. And as sure as GNev would cover Becks, next season, those "attack, attack, attack" chants from United fans will again be heard at away grounds around the country.

You can count on one hand the games when United actually put together a decent, entertaining 90 minutes. And they've all involved either Martial or Rashford playing off the cuff. We've discussed this before, but just where will they be after a full preseason under Van Gaal? Will the spontaneity be coached out of them?..................................................................................................................

- See more at: http://www.tribalfootball.com/artic...e-way-as-arsenal-4128805#sthash.gphm4jgm.dpuf

He's staying by the looks of it. They will regret this.....

Louis van Gaal vetoed Man United target Renato Sanches - reports

Louis van Gaal vetoed Manchester United's efforts to sign Renato Sanches from Benfica, according to multiple reports citing senior sources at Old Trafford.

After months of reports linking Sanches to United, the highly rated midfielder signed a five-year contract with Bayern Munich on Tuesday for an initial €35 million fee......................................

http://www.espnfc.us/manchester-united/story/2868849/louis-van-gaal-vetoed-man-united-target-renato-sanches-reports

Man U not ending up like ars w LVG but Liverpoo. Promising at start, wimpering at end n buying a bucketful of duds in the process. And always citing their rich history as excuse for next season will b successful. How many seasons since poo has won the league ?

Post mortem from early this morning.
Was over the moon when Martial scored to lead 2-1 with 18mins to go.
Nice Mata pass with Rashford connecting to Martial on left (usual scoring angle).
But we were so vulnerable to free headers throughout, including the winning goal.
1st half was a shambles :(

Herrera and Blind were the villains last night. The former was giving away too many unneceassary free kicks and I sometimes wonder if he was on take. He can't be that stupid can he? Well Blind was just blind Kept the Hammers on side twice. One led to a goal and the other an almost certain goal. Well, what can I say ab that I haven't already said about Blind.

Credit to Bilic for changing tactics in the second half. They were playing for free kicks and set pieces in the second half and it paid off handsomely. Certainly a manager worth his salt.

Any team could have beaten United by just focusing on set pieces. They are hopeless!!!!

I'll be cheering Palace to beat United on FA Cup day. Made a good kill last night as expected.

Pre-match mess, game delayed 45mins. MU also blamed for arriving late 1600