Louis van Gaal Reportedly Tracked Manchester United Squad Emails After Criticism

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal reportedly tracked emails he sent to his players detailing criticisms to ensure they were being read by the recipient.

According to Daniel Taylor of the Guardian, the Dutchman sent the bulletins to individual members of the squad to "highlight his dissatisfaction."

Needless to say, the report stated that the emails weren’t particularly popular with the playing staff, although the coach is alleged to have gone to extraordinary measures to get his point across:

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By that stage a lot of the players were so disillusioned many ignored the emails or redirected them straight to their trash. Van Gaal suspected as much and had a tracker fitted so he could check if the emails were opened and for how long. It became a game of cat and mouse. Some players opened the emails on their mobiles, then left their phones on the side and wandered off for 20 minutes.

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According to Dan Roan and Simon Stone of BBC Sport, the Dutchman has been sacked by the club after a poor Premier League season. The Red Devils won the FA Cup on Saturday, beating Crystal Palace 2-1 after extra time, but only finished fifth in the domestic league, meaning they missed out on the UEFA Champions League for next season.

Jose Mourinho, sacked by Chelsea last year and out of work since, is expected to take over at Old Trafford, per Roan and Stone. And while the Portuguese is no soft touch, you sense the players will be relieved to be rid of Van Gaal's smothering presence. 

Taylor has also reported that Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney had to step in and talk to the Dutchman, as "he would crucify players in front of each other." The Guardian report stated that playing staff welcomed international breaks as a chance to escape Van Gaal’s regimented setup and a manager some considered to be "weird."

These numbers from OptaJoe would suggest that the Dutchman’s results weren’t quite as bad as many would suggest, though:

However, the style of play bored supporters, and according to Taylor, the players weren’t particularly enthused by the tactics either.

"Why, they asked, was a man with his impressive background so devoted to such an unappealing style?" wrote Taylor. "Supporters longed for a return to the old United way—attacking, adventurous football, played at speed and with penetration—but so did the players, and it pained them that he refused to bend."

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Van Gaal’s departure won’t be lamented for too long by many in the Red Devils fanbase, who will be keen to see just how things take shape under a new regime. While the Dutchman was a straight-talking and often-humorous figure at the club, ultimately his methods proved to be outdated and results were simply not good enough.

The players will also surely be looking forward to the next campaign and potentially having a little more freedom under a new boss. There certainly won’t be as many nervous checks of their inbox.