Louis van Gaal Forcing Man Utd Fans to Choose Between Results or Style

Manchester United have lost just one of their last 19 games. They're third in the Premier League table. And, after their 3-1 win over Preston North End on Monday night, they're in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

But there are still rumblings of discontent. Every positive result, it seems, comes with a "but." United beat Burnley last week but were the inferior side for long spells. They beat Preston too. But only after looking turgid and sloppy for more than an hour.

The bottom line is that Louis van Gaal is, at the moment, meeting his targets. If United finished third in the league and won the FA Cup, which they have every chance of doing, it would have to be deemed a successful campaign. 

Jon Super/Associated Press

Results, in the main, have been good. But it's how they're being achieved that's causing concern. United have some of the best attacking players in the world.

But there have been very few times this season when they've looked truly dangerous—like they could score at any moment. The attractive, attacking football promoted by Sir Alex Ferguson has been replaced with an emphasis on possession.

At times, United have looked more interested in squeezing the life out of opposing teams rather than putting them to the sword. Sterile domination has become a common phrase for supporters.

Jon Super/Associated Press

It wasn't until Van Gaal switched to a more traditional 4-4-2, a move forced upon him by an injury to Daley Blind, that United began to look a far better side than Burnley.

And against League One Preston, they had 71 per cent possession in the first half without having a single shot on target. It wasn't until Ashley Young came on to add width and pace in the second half that United looked likely to score. In the end, they got three.

Some fans are happy to see United grind out results this season. Others would rather see their team risk losing in the pursuit of free-flowing, swashbuckling football. Either way, it's forcing them to choose. Seemingly, they can't have both. Not at the moment anyway.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Eventually, Van Gaal will have to deliver style and substance. That's what United fans are used to. It's what they had under Sir Alex Ferguson. But then they had neither positive results nor attractive football under David Moyes last season, so Van Gaal must be getting at least something right.

For now, though, he's forcing the United fans to decide what is most important. Positive results or positive football.