Harry Redknapp Comments on Louis van Gaal's 'Ordinary' Manchester United Squad

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has claimed Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is not solely to blame for the Red Devils’ recent slump, suggesting he has an "ordinary" squad at his disposal.

The Dutch coach finds himself in a position of immense scrutiny as United gear up to face Chelsea on Monday, with Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail writing that a defeat to the champions would almost certainly spell the end for Van Gaal.

However, Redknapp has offered some support to the Red Devils boss in his column for the Daily Telegraph:

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[Sir Alex Ferguson] chose a great time to go out. He must have known they were in decline and that many great players were coming to an end. Suddenly they needed about seven players. It was always going to be difficult for whoever took over but it got even more difficult.

It became an ordinary team very quickly. They have spent a fortune since but where do you find players to replace what they had? The best strikers are at Barcelona, Real and Bayern and, for those that are left, you will also be competing with Manchester City or Chelsea.

That is not to say that United could not have done better with the money they spent. They have recruited poorly but, once again, that does not just come down to the manager. It will not have been [David] Moyes or Van Gaal who is spending all that money and some of the players they have bought are not good enough. 

"

Jon Super/Associated Press

Redknapp highlights United’s decision not to chase Tottenham starlet Dele Alli as a major faux pas, especially after the youngster ran the show for MK Dons in a 4-0 win over Van Gaal’s team early last season. 

"United have scouts all across the world and yet they go to MK Dons last year, get beaten 4-0 in the League Cup, and no one seems to notice the teenage kid in central midfield who is the real deal," said Redknapp.

"You would think someone might have said: 'They murdered us, who was he?' It was Dele Alli."

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During his first summer at the club, Van Gaal saw high-profile players such as Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao head to Old Trafford, but neither impressed, with the former sold to Paris Saint-Germain a year later and the latter a shadow of his former self. The likes of Memphis Depay, Anthony Martial, Bastian Schweinstegier and Morgan Schneiderlin joined in the next summer window.

As Bleacher Report’s Sam Pilger noted recently, very few of the players brought in under Van Gaal’s watch have been a success:

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If LVG says Schweinsteiger not been good enough, I make it 1 of his 13 signings (Martial) a complete success. Trust him with more money?

— Sam Pilger (@sampilger) December 8, 2015"

Admittedly, this could be down to a variety of factors, but the manager has been unable to draw the best from talents such as Di Maria, Falcao and Depay, with the Red Devils playing a slow, stagnant style of football. Given the money spent on the squad, the Old Trafford crowd naturally expect a lot more from their team.

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Alli is the kind of player United would have signed in years gone by. While he was unproven at the elite level, his talent was beyond dispute at MK Dons; the Red Devils have often been sharp to try to lure the very best young English players to Old Trafford, but Spurs moved quickly and seem to have secured a gem of a footballer.

At the moment, the 19-year-old is in exceptional form for Mauricio Pochettino’s team too, per OptaJoe:

"

5 - Dele Alli has scored or assisted five goals in his last five Premier League games (two goals, three assists). Influential.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2015"

Of course, the problems suffered by Van Gaal and United would not have been completely quashed by signing Alli, but there’s no denying there’s been a shift in transfer policy at United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. The Dutchman must share in the culpability for some of these recruitment failings, especially given the amount spent on reshaping the squad.

Branding United’s roster "ordinary" may be a little bit harsh from Redknapp, but there’s no denying there are areas in which there is a dearth of depth.

Ultimately, in his second season at the club, the blame for that must rest primarily with Van Gaal, and that’s why the Old Trafford crowd, who have been previously been understanding, are beginning to lose patience.