Bastian Schweinsteiger Defended by Joachim Low After Louis Van Gaal Criticism

Germany manager Joachim Low has voiced his support for his captain, Bastian Schweinsteiger, in the wake of criticism from Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal.

After the Red Devils were dumped out of the Champions League in midweek on the back of another disappointing display, losing 3-2 to Wolfsburg, the Dutchman insisted his summer signing was not up to standard, stating, “I cannot say that he was the Schweinsteiger from my period in Munich today,” per Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News.

Low evidently disagrees with the criticism of the veteran player and had high praise for the former Bayern Munich man, per Bild (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star):

"

We at the German Football Association know what we are getting with Bastian. He’s still a world-class player and undisputedly our captain.

You've got to give even an experienced player like him time to adapt to a new league. I am sure that Manchester United are still going to get a lot of joy out of Schweinsteiger.

"

Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press

It’s certainly been an interesting start to life at Old Trafford for Schweinsteiger. At times, the Germany international has looked like the player who routinely bossed matches for Bayern Munich, calming things down in midfield, picking sharp passes and breaking up the opposition play with his tenacious defensive forays.

Granted, he’s a little past his peak, but as Cristian Nyari of FCB Media noted, everyone knew that was the case when Schweinsteiger joined United in the summer:

What the German needs around him in the team is legs. With the energetic presence of Morgan Schneiderlin next to him and Ander Herrera a little more advanced, United have looked at their best this term. But Van Gaal has tinkered with his midfield throughout the campaign, and Schweinsteiger’s partner in Wolfsburg, Marouane Fellaini, was far from ideal.

JOHN MACDOUGALL/Getty Images

It’s certainly disappointing to hear Van Gaal voicing these grievances in public too. Managers who begin to blame their players in the wake of a poor result typically don’t last too much longer, and according to James Ducker of the Times, the dressing room is already bemused by some of the decisions he’s made in recent weeks.

Alex Shaw of ESPN accused Van Gaal of double standards when it comes to criticising some players but not others:

Any player who is in the twilight of his career will need utilising appropriately if you're to get the best from him. At this juncture, Schweinsteiger doesn’t look quite at ease in United’s midfield, as he’s not got the right personnel to enrich his skill set. If Van Gaal is to draw more from the German in the weeks to come, he needs to get energy around him.

Schweinsteiger will still be a crucial figure for United this term. Granted, his effect on the big clash with Wolfsburg was minimal, but his leadership will shine through if the Red Devils remain in the hunt for the Premier League. If it wasn’t for him in recent outings on the road, playing key roles in vital goals at Watford and Leicester City, United would already be much further back in their domestic pursuit.