Louis van Gaal Says Manchester United Are 'Too Big' to Go on EPL Title Drought
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said his team will not wait 26 years for another Premier League trophy, declaring the club is "too big" not to win the title over such a long period of time as it once did—between 1967 and 1993—before former boss Sir Alex Ferguson broke the Red Devils' championship duck.
Van Gaal's side will face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday as the Merseyside giants face the prospect of going 26 years without winning the league if they do not capture Premier League silverware this term.
Jason Burt of the Telegraph quoted the Dutchman ahead of the north-west derby claiming United will eventually reclaim the title, but it may take longer than he once expected:
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"I am part of the transition so I cannot imagine that shall happen with Manchester United. I cannot imagine. But as you say when it is happening to Liverpool it can happen also to Manchester United but I cannot imagine that because we are in transition and we are going in the right way.
But maybe it shall take a longer time (than I think). But I cannot imagine it will be the same for Manchester United. It (United) is too big, too organised and we have an infrastructure and we are improving that every year.
"
Van Gaal argued the distance between England's great clubs and the rest has shrunk over the past decade, making it difficult for United and Liverpool to reclaim past glory. The Dutchman added it's fair to judge his team for underperforming as they sit in sixth in the league, per Burt:
"I think it’s much more difficult to win the Premier League than 10 years ago. The difference between Liverpool and Manchester United and the rest of the league was bigger than now. So the level is higher and the difference between the clubs is a smaller gap. That’s why I say it’s more difficult to win and, of course, you can then still say that we have underperformed because Manchester United has to be in the first three in the Premier League and the same thing counts for Liverpool I think.
"
United will travel to Merseyside in poor form, winning only once in their last eight league games. The club have fallen from the top of the Premier League—just a matter of weeks ago—to out of the title picture as they trail Arsenal and Leicester City by nine points.
The Old Trafford giants sit in 18th position in the Premier League form guide, below the league's rock-bottom club, Aston Villa. Liverpool reside in 10th place in the guide after winning only two of their last six.
The United coach said he knows his side need to perform at their best on Sunday but must also remain in control of their emotions during a derby match that's always heated, per the club's official Twitter account:
Jamie Carragher of the Daily Mail said he believes the match is bigger for United than it is for Liverpool as his former club chase League Cup glory in preference of claiming bragging rights against their bitter foes.
"Is this the biggest game of the season?" Carragher wrote. "For Louis van Gaal and Manchester United, absolutely—another defeat and he could be out of his job. But for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool? No."
The game against Liverpool has an all-or-nothing feel about it for Van Gaal, who has been pressed into a situation of his own making.
The Red Devils will not win the title this season, but the current form is unacceptable for a club with the financial power of United, who have invested heavily since the demise of David Moyes' stewardship 18 months ago.
The team have seen superstar names such as Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao come and go, and if United cannot attract genuine world-class players in the next six months, they will fall further behind Manchester City and Arsenal.
If Van Gaal—or whoever might potentially succeed him next term—does not correct the club's player purchasing, United will spend many years in the wilderness, just as they did when Sir Matt Busby exited the Theatre of Dreams at the end of the 1960s.
The following two decades were barren for the football club, and lightning could strike twice after the end of Ferguson's magnificent tenure.
