LOUIS VAN GAAL admitted Manchester United are playing well below the standards he demands after his spluttering side were held to a 0-0 draw by Burnley yesterday.
Van Gaal heads into the international break still waiting for the first victory of his United reign after two draws and a defeat in the Premier League, as well as a humiliating loss at third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup.
Managers often complain about the first international break, resenting the intrusion that interrupts their schedule and momentum before it has barely had chance to pick up speed.
But van Gaal could be forgiven for relishing the opportunity to refine his plans for United over the next two weeks following their latest lacklustre effort against a Burnley team, who cost just £5million (€6.3million) to assemble, at Turf Moor on Saturday.
The former Netherlands boss had already warned it will take several months at least to fix the fallen giants following the ill-fated reign of David Moyes and he offered a distinctly unimpressed review of United’s current status after they failed to break down newly-promoted Burnley.
Van Gaal, whose team will be stuck on two points — their worst start since 2007 — until they face promoted Queens Park Rangers on September 14, admitted: “We don’t look world-class at the moment.
“We shall have to wait and believe it will happen. We shall see where we are in a month or so.”
- Expensive overhaul -
However, having scanned the fixture list to reveal games against Leicester City and West Ham United before the end of September, the Dutchman will expect his team to have hoisted themselves towards the right end of the table sooner rather than later.
By then he should have been joined by compatriot Daley Blind, the 24-year-old Ajax star who was a key part of van Gaal’s Netherlands team at the World Cup and is expected to sign imminently for around £14million (€18million).
Blind’s arrival will continue van Gaal’s £150million (€190million) overhaul of the United squad following the debut of Angel Di Maria on Saturday.
The Argentina midfielder, who cost a British record £59.7million (€75million) from Real Madrid, lasted 69 minutes before making way for Anderson after taking a kick to his calf.
Di Maria showed one or two nice touches at Turf Moor, but van Gaal said: “He was not the world-class player we have seen in Madrid.
“He needs to adapt to English culture and the English way of playing. And his team-mates need to adapt as well.”
At least there was no further defeat for van Gaal to face.
United were spared that when David Jones, the Burnley midfielder who began his career at Old Trafford and captained the team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2003, sent his third-minute free-kick against David De Gea’s crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.
Tom Heaton, Burnley’s other United old boy in the home goal, found Robin van Persie and a subdued Rooney a less intimidating strike force than he might have expected, though he did well to parry at close range when van Persie collected Di Maria’s perfect pass.
Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager who would have settled for taking a point from Van Gaal’s team after back to back defeats, insisted: “You don’t get anything other than a test from Manchester United. You don’t ever have an easy ride.”
Interesting and hopeful. Thanks.
I missed the game and just watched it back. After listening to OTB and reading the 42 I was very excited to watch it. I have to say I was underwhelmed. We were decent and it is promising for the future but to hear that it was the most exciting performance since 2002!!! Also the time should have been added, it was a pen and Ronaldo shouldn’t have been sent off. I did think the connelly one was a pen though.
@James Murphy: name a more exiting performance we’ve had against one of the best teams in the world since 2002?
@James Murphy: I didn’t hear many people disputing it wasn’t a penalty for Portugal it was 50/50 not obvious either way that’s why the ref watched it back around 10 times and the extra time in extra time shouldn’t of been allowed we cleared the ball after the 5 mins twice the ref should of undoubtedly blew the whistle… We absolutely deserved a draw but all that aside promising for the future indeed!
@James Murphy: it was very exciting watching it live
@John Kelly: Germany and Italy games under Martin oneil were just as exciting. Look it was good and as I said promising and I would be backing Kenny with a contract. We didn’t deserve a draw unless we got one.
@James Murphy: Well there hasn’t been too many and that’s for sure, not having a go I agree it was promising and Kenny is the man for it I just think it was a really positive performance and think we definitely deserved a draw