The National's Sport cover for the Sunday, December 20 issue, featuring Manchester United as they suffered another blow to their faltering campaign.
United fell out of the Premier League top four with a dispiriting 2-1 loss to Norwich City. The team's lack of attacking verve was a complaint even when they were getting results – now their listlessness, paired with losses, calls into question whether Louis van Gaal is capable of engineering a turnaround, writes Andy Mitten:
“‘Just tell me he can’t go on’.”
“‘He’ was Louis van Gaal, Manchester United’s manager since July 2014, 18 often strained months where the Dutchman has tried to rebuild the side to his precise philosophy. He uses the words ‘philosophy’ and ‘process’ frequently and United fans, stung by the failure of the David Moyes period, gave their first continental manager as much emotional support as he had financial backing in signing the players he desired.
“Van Gaal used the word ‘philosophy’ again after his side were beaten 2-1 by Norwich City at Old Trafford, their first home defeat of the season. Norwich’s first win at Old Trafford since a famous 1989 victory was the latest blow to a United side who’ve been eliminated from the Champions League and have now slipped out of the Premier League’s top four.
“Support for Van Gaal has declined accordingly.
"The doubts have been growing throughout 2015 and at the start of December, he read the mood wrong when he said United fans were happy with him and their club. After Saturday’s defeat to Norwich, he wore the expression of a man under intense pressure as he discussed topics that hadn’t been raised only a month ago.”
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