Main sponsor Adidas slams manager’s style of play
UNDER PRESSURE: Man United scored 24 times in first 20 Premier League matches
Manchester United’s major sponsor, Adidas, has criticized the club’s style of football under manager Louis van Gaal.
The pragmatic approach by the Dutchman, which had seen United record their lowest tally of goals for the first half of a Premier League season and fail to score in five of their eight home games before a 2-1 win against Swansea City on Saturday, has been derided by fans, pundits and former players.
This latest attack comes with a more hard-headed view from the chief executive officer of Adidas.
Herbert Hainer is reportedly happy with the number of United replica shirts his company is selling since they started a 10-year, $1.1 billion US sponsorship deal last summer. He is apparently less than impressed with the way van Gaal’s side has been playing, with just 24 goals scored in their first 20 Premier League games.
Hainer told the German newspaper Suddeutsche: “Business with Man United is going very well — we sell more shirts than expected. We are satisfied, even if the current playing style of Man United is not exactly what we want to see.
“This special club has not only a rich history, but also a reputation for success and the unexpected.”
The comments of Hainer, whose company replaced Nike as United’s shirt sponsor last year, may well have been noted by the Old Trafford marketing men.
But much is likely to change over the duration of their contract and, having been given the backing of United’s board over a tricky Christmas period, van Gaal has started to change United’s style.
He described the approach against Swansea as “risky” after playing three central defenders and two attacking wide men in Ashley Young and Anthony Martial.
The move paid off as United ended an eight-game wait for a win with one of their most positive attacking performances for some time, in which Martial and Wayne Rooney scored together for the first time.
Van Gaal’s side is three points outside the Champions League and keeper David de Gea believes United will continue to improve.
“We’ve been really unlucky in the way we’ve picked up lots of injuries and injuries to really important players,” he said. “But, thankfully, they are slowly returning one-by-one, which will give us a strong side.
“We need to continue to improve, to play better and to win matches. We will keep going and going.”
“We are satisfied, even if the current playing style of Man United is not exactly what we want to see.”
— Herbert Hainer