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| Man United boss Louis van Gaal lost it with fans and former players for bringing up the past |
LOUIS VAN GAAL has told Manchester United fans to get real and stop living in the past.
The outspoken Dutchman admits he is struggling to manage expectation levels at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal insists it is unrealistic to expect 25 years of virtually unbroken success under Sir Alex Ferguson to continue while the club is in transition and at a time when the competition at home and abroad has intensified.
After facing a fans’ backlash following United’s exit from the Champions League, he said: “The problem is that we have to meet the expectations. And the expectations at a club like this are very high.
“But you have to analyse the club now. You cannot compare it with five or 10 years ago, because there is an evolution in European football. They say Manchester United has to win [titles] but that is the past."
Fans, media and a lengthy list of former Manchester United stars keep telling him how good it was and how it should be.
Well, the outspoken Dutchman snapped yesterday and basically told everyone to take a reality check on today's football landscape.
Despite spending £250million on new players in his 18 months in charge, Van Gaal says he is still in a re-building process and that there were "positives" from the midweek defeat by Wolfsburg when United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage.
“There were a lot of positives but when people don’t want to see them it’s not my problem," he said. "I didn't hear anything positive said of [youngsters] Guillermo Varela or Campbell Borthwick-Jackson.
"We had Memphis, 21, Lingard, 22, Martial, 19, in attack and still we could hurt the No 2 club in Germany. We could have won the game.”
That exit followed a run of less than inspiring performances with United booed off in some recent games at Old Trafford where they have slugged out five goal-less draws this season.
But after a week of mounting criticism, Van Gaal went on the attack. He insisted he is still the right man for the job, his players are behind him and his methods, and progress is being made - if people are prepared to analyse the games properly.
He said: "It is more of a problem in the outside world than inside the club. No, I don't have any doubts about my ability. I have read that I am 64 and I am too old. But only last year I was good enough to get Holland to third place at the World Cup.
"I read the same things - that my touch had gone - 20 years ago when I was at Barcelona and we went out at the group stage but we went on to win La Liga. It is always like that. I cannot change that. I cannot change what is in people's mind. I can only say the facts.
"The facts are this - we are out of the group stage and, yes, I am very sorry. But I have done everything I could. My players have done everything they could. My board, I think, have also done everything.
"We are all working very hard but the problem is that we have to meet the expectations. And the expectations at a club like this are very high. But you have to analyse the club now. You cannot compare it with five or 10 years ago, because there is an evolution in football and in European football. They say Manchester United has to win [titles] but that is the past.
"I had the task when I came here to improve the club and win the title, when it is possible. We are in that process, but when I say that, I know I will face criticism that 'football is not a process' and things like that."
Van Gaal argued that the competition is stronger now both in Europe and in the Premier League because clubs have greater financial resources and better organisation.
He added: "The world has changed. Now we have many more clubs with the money and structure to win something. Next year the clubs in the Premier League will have a bigger budget than most of the clubs in Europe. That makes a big difference.
"Every club can also buy players. The difference between the clubs is not so different anymore. You see confirmation of that every week. The bottom clubs can beat the top.
"When you say that I am hired to make the difference, you are right. I can make the difference, in tactics and everything. But I cannot score goals and the 0-0 draw for PSV Eindhoven was the match that cost us in our group."
Van Gaal’s hopes of an immediate improvement for United’s first ever League meeting with Bournemouth today have been hit by nine absentees – Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian and Bastian Schweinsteiger (suspended) joining a list that already included Wayne Rooney, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw.
He is set to field a defence including three youngsters, Guillermo Varela, Paddy McNair and Campbell Borthwick-Jackson.
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