Manchester United's Reversion to Type Highlights Louis Van Gaal's Failure

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — It is important when discussing Manchester United's performance against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday to acknowledge Louis van Gaal was technically correct after the game, when he said, "I agree that we have to give more entertainment to the fans, but the most important thing today was to win the game."

After all, with just five games now left in the league season, the business end has most certainly arrived. United have two matches following quickly on the heels of the win against Villa—a midweek home league fixture against Crystal Palace and then the FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley next Saturday.

However, in spite of this, United's plodding, turgid and uninspiring performance against one of the worst sides in the history of the Premier League merits plenty of criticism. A win was indeed vital, but the manner of the victory shone the spotlight on much of what is still wrong with Van Gaal's United.

The manager said although he had made five changes from the "intensive" win over West Ham United, he was surprised his side could not lift itself. However, the performance was not surprising to many fans, whose response to the starting XI was generally lukewarm at best.

With a midfield of Marouane Fellaini and Morgan Schneiderlin, with Wayne Rooney at No. 10 and Juan Mata on the right wing, it was no surprise the football was often pedestrian.

Bizarrely, Van Gaal returned to a refrain that has so often been heard in press conferences at Old Trafford after dull football matches this season.

"It is not easy when you have to play against a very defensive team," might be a reasonably correct assertion. However, for Van Gaal to use that as an excuse here is, frankly, ridiculous. Aston Villa have conceded 65 goals this season, more than any team in the division has scored.

Within the last six weeks, Manchester City and Chelsea have both put four past the Villans. Back in February, Liverpool managed six. It might not be easy to play against a very defensive team, but Villa have now lost 24 games this season, so it is probably fair to say playing against them is not that difficult.

Of course, the record books will show three points earned, and if United somehow scrape into a UEFA Champions League place this season, that will be all that mattered. However, Villa hit the post late in the game, a chance David De Gea would not have been able to save had it finished an inch or so to the left of where it landed.

United had a couple of decent chances themselves but hardly an overwhelming number, and the soporific nature of the play shows Van Gaal, after nearly two seasons in charge, still has not got his team playing functional football on a regular basis.

The performance against West Ham showed signs of life—something that has never gone away during Van Gaal's time, there have always been sparks. However, time and time again the reversion to the mean has followed.

Old Trafford was as flat as it has been in a long time against Villa, and it is hardly surprising. Van Gaal has built a team that is hard to love and hard to invest emotion in, because it so rarely plays with any joie de vivre.

There were exceptions on Saturday—Marcus Rashford's goal featured a glorious pass from Rooney, some good awareness from Antonio Valencia and a fine piece of centre-forward movement from the young prodigy.

Memphis Depay had a very positive start to the second half, and Van Gaal suggested he was unlucky not to have earned an assist, presumably in reference to Memphis' pass to Rooney that the United captain fluffed. But Rooney looked brighter in general than was perhaps expected given his long lay-off.

So some positives, but not in sufficient number. And that, essentially, is the story of Van Gaal's time at United. This win was another example of why so many fans are hoping for a change of direction in the summer.

Quotations obtained firsthand.