Louis van Gaal tells Man United fans who is really responsible for their poor form

Van Gaal has asked fans to give him the flak and leave the players out of it

LOUIS VAN GAAL has told fans to vent their frustrations at him and stop undermining the confidence of his Manchester United stars.

 

The United boss says he is tough and experienced enough to handle the flak but believes supporters should analyse and understand games better.

Van Gaal was concerned the Old Trafford crowd were on the backs of his players as they struggled to break down CSKA Moscow in midweek before Wayne Rooney's late winner ended the team's run of 404 minutes without a goal.

He accepts fans have a right to criticise but says pressure from the stands can inhibit the players.

 

Ahead of today's home clash with West Brom, who have won on their last two visits to Old Trafford, he said: "The supporters have to support the players, otherwise they make it very difficult for them to play at Old Trafford. The yelling is not good for my players.

"Fans have to understand and analyse the resistance of our opponents. It is difficult to disorganise a team with 10 players behind the ball.

"I can only advise them to criticise the manager and not the players. It's better to whistle at the manager. I can cope with it because I have had a lot of experience of it."

Van Gaal hopes to emerge from a period of negativity, as he did in his previous jobs with Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Holland.

 

Rooney scored Man United's first goal in over 400 minutes of football

"In my first year as a coach with Ajax all the fans were shouting for Johan Cruyff until we won the UEFA Cup. At Barcelona I had the white handkerchiefs and I had the same at Bayern Munich. So I am used to negative things. I was criticised before the World Cup with Holland then came home a hero. I hope for the same here."

West Brom boss Tony Pulis reckons United must do more than just win but win with style if Van Gaal is to silence his critics.

Pulis is no stranger to the kind of criticism Van Gaal is facing having suffered abuse for his team's defensive approach at Stoke and again in his current job.

"That's the way life is now," he said. "He is expected to win every game and he has to win with some style.

"Sir Alex Ferguson did that for a long time, David Moyes unfortunately wasn't given the time to do what he wanted to do but I think they'll stick with Louis and give him the opportunity and time to get it right.

 

"You get pigeon-holed at times and put in a position where it's rife for people to have a go at you.

"I've had it ever since I started, at Bournemouth all the way through. It's water off a duck's back to me."

Pulis has blasted the decision to hand referee Anthony Taylor tonight's plum Premier League clash between Stoke and Chelsea.

Pulis was punished by the FA after admitting a misconduct charge for confronting Cheshire-based Taylor in the tunnel after his side's 3-2 defeat to Leicester.

Pulis said: "We've had no feedback whatsoever about what the referee feels or thinks. I got the fine and the club got punished because we dropped points because of those decisions and then you see Anthony Taylor has got one of the top games this weekend."