Spoiled after 23 years of unrivalled success and saddled with bandwagon jumpers, it's a vast majority of United fans that need to get their act together, not Louis van Gaal.
"LVG needs to wake up and smell the coffee" one United fan was heard saying recently but I disagree.
I'd argue, in fact, that it's some of the fans that need to wake up and smell that very same caffeine.
It's ridiculous to expect 5-0 wins every week, yet there are some whom still demand this because of the frequent landslide victories of the Fergie years.
The reason fans are unhappy with Van Gaal is because him and the team are expected to live up to impossibly high standards set by the one-off phenomena of Sir Alex, but these fans need to realise that times are different now.
Every United team and manager for the rest of time will constantly be seen to have underachieved because of an outstanding individual whom was truly unique in the modern game.
The Fergie days are gone, football is cyclical and no one will ever achieve, anywhere, what the great man did.
We're on the way back but it's not happening quickly enough for some and Van Gaal is suffering because of it.
United fans have to accept this and take LVG for what he is: not a miracle worker, but a world class manager with different ideas, a different style and a relatively new squad.
The Dutchman currently finds himself in a similar position to that of Fergie in his early years: a difficult rebuilding of an ailing squad with the club on its knee against the backdrop of a fans revolt (Three Years of Excuses and it's still c**p. Ta-Ra Fergie"...)
Yet he was given time and turned the club round, and our fans should allow Van Gaal to do the same.
He is a building a team for the future to leave in the hand of his successor, but the majority of these bandwagon jumping, impatient supporters are either unwilling or unable to appreciate how long this process takes.
The genuine fans of the club (one of which I consider myself to be) have recognised the progess we've made a little over a year into van Gaal's "three year" process, but it's ongoing and we need to get behind him.
We're second in the league and in a good position and still in a looking strong in Europe, but yet van Gaal continues to receive heavy criticism... which begs the question: what exactly are we all expecting.
The negativity among some of the fans is transcending itself to the players and the atmosphere around the club is is danger of turning toxic.
LVG will get there but in my view it will be at least two or three years before we're challenging for the top honours once more.
Two years, not two months.
So a message to all you Reds out there: stay positive, believe in the players and manager, be patient and we will get there.
No comments:
Post a Comment