Players have bored me says Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal thinks Manchester United fans should be happy their team are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Picture: Getty Images

Van Gaal’s future as United manager will be thrown into question again tonight if his team fail to win at Newcastle.

United ended an eight-match winless run by defeating Swansea nine days ago and then followed that victory with another triumph in the FA Cup against Sheffield United.

Those wins have merely papered over the cracks, however. The pressure is still on Van Gaal because of the often dull and uninspiring performances of his team.

Paul Scholes branded United’s style of play “boring” earlier this season and following Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Legue One opposition, the former club great claimed Van Gaal and his players looked “bored” during the tie.

Van Gaal has been at odds with Scholes for much of his 18-month spell at the club, but yesterday the 64-year-old conceded some of the football on display at Old Trafford this season has been rather dull.

“There are matches that I have enjoyed,” Van Gaal said. “And there are also matches where I’m very bored or angry because we are not disorganising our opponents’ defence but that is football.”

Van Gaal railed at the suggestion that his primary aim is to stifle the opposition, rather than attack.

“Do you know that,” Van Gaal snapped during an edgy press conference at Carrington. “I am not concerned (about defending more than attacking). At this moment we have a lack of creativity and you can see that, but they have done it (played well in the past) so they can do it.

At times yesterday it seemed as if Van Gaal was in denial. He even offered the theory that heavy traffic outside Old Trafford could have been to blame for the exodus by scores of supporters before Wayne Rooney’s 93rd-minute penalty on Saturday. ‘’They are not thinking that we would score, I think, and maybe also because of the traffic,” he said.

Van Gaal even suggested United fans should be happy with their team’s current form.

‘’You have to be happy as a Manchester United fan that we are in next round and we have won the last two games,” he added

There was also a reminder to the supporters that life was not always rosy before he took over. “The fans have to know that we can’t always play fantastic football,” Van Gaal said. “And that was also the case in former days. I’m sorry, but it is like that.”

Ryan Giggs and Scholes were ever-presents during Alex Ferguson’s successful spell at the helm. Giggs has rarely been allowed to speak in public since he became Van Gaal’s assistant, so his thoughts on Scholes’ criticism are unknown.

“No,” was the flat answer when asked whether Giggs ever discusses Scholes’ criticism of the club.

Van Gaal insists the former winger does have serious input when it comes to the team’s current tactics, though.

“He has a lot of influence in our decisions because I communicate every decision with my staff so he can have a big influence,” Van Gaal said.