Louis van Gaal lashed out at Sam Allardyce over his "long-ball United" dig and then claimed Manchester United fans are happy with their team's style of play.
Allardyce came up with the moniker for Van Gaal’s team on Sunday after the United boss scraped a 1-1 draw at Upton Park following Daley Blind’s 92nd-minute equaliser.
The Dutchman introduced Marouane Fellaini as a substitute in the second half and several long passes were subsequently lofted to the 6ft 4in midfielder.
“We couldn’t cope with long-ball United,” Allardyce said. “It was thump it forward and see what they could get.”
Van Gaal has kept his notoriously fiery temper in check for most of his tenure as United manager.
Up until Tuesday, the only people to incur his wrath in front of the cameras were journalists and the United players who he gave a dressing down to during public training sessions on tour.
Van Gaal even managed to refrain from engaging in a war of words with Southampton manager Ronald Koeman, with whom he fell out at Ajax.
But Allardyce clearly overstepped the mark with his comments about United’s style of play.
“This is not a good interpretation of Big Sam,” Van Gaal said during a press conference to preview United’s game against Burnley.
To prove his point, Van Gaal had brought a four-page document to the press conference which detailed statistics and diagrams apparently proving that West Ham launched more long balls forward than United.
After deriding Allardyce’s claims, Van Gaal stood up and said to the reporter who had asked him about the former Blackburn manager’s comments: “I give this to you, you can copy it and then maybe you can go to Big Sam and he will get a good interpretation.”
Van Gaal’s overall tactics have come in for criticism this season.
United may be fourth in the Premier League, but the team lack the energy, dynamism and flair of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Van Gaal insists he has had very few complaints about United’s style of play from the club’s fans.
“I don’t think that we are not playing attractive enough for the fans, I am not sure of that. In the stadium I get always applause, so I think that everyone is still happy,” Van Gaal added.
Van Gaal, meanwhile, has defended Robin van Persie over claims he intentionally elbowed James Tomkins in the draw at West Ham.
When asked whether he thought Van Persie deliberately set out to injure Tomkins, Van Gaal said: “No.”
Allardyce has no problem with the fact that he received no apology from Van Gaal or Van Persie after the game.
“No you don’t want an apology, you get on with it,” the West Ham manager said.
“It is all part of the game. We are all so ‘humpy, grumpy’ and soft about the game today, we are so politically correct that it sickens me. Sickens me.”
Allardyce was still unhappy with the challenge though.
“At the end of the day you don’t want to see players get sent off but it was a bit naughty,” he said.
“He smashed his nose with his arm.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
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Rating: 2/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
