UNITED LOSES TO MIDTJYLLAND
Coach can only say: ‘It is the law of Murphy, I think.’
Explaining his team’s latest humiliating loss, Louis van Gaal used an adage to sum up the beleaguered state of Manchester United.
“It is the law of Murphy, I think,” the bewildered Van Gaal said.
A great footballing institution is crumbling before his eyes. And Van Gaal, one of Europe’s most celebrated and experienced coaches, is at a loss as to how to fix it.
A 2-1 defeat at little-known FC Midtjylland in front of fewer than 12,000 fans in the Europa League on Thursday was perhaps the low point in Van Gaal’s turbulent 20month tenure at Old Trafford. It sparked vitriolic abuse from a section of travelling United supporters and apologies from United’s players.
The Manchester Evening News decided to bare its teeth, taking the bold step of calling for Van Gaal to be fired on its back page on Friday.
At the heart of the Dutchman’s angst was an injury list that now contains 14 players after goalkeeper David de Gea hurt his knee in the prematch warmup in Denmark. On paper, a team made up of injured players — including De Gea, Wayne Rooney, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian — appears stronger than the best team available to Van Gaal.
But Van Gaal still put out a starting XI packed with experienced internationals from Spain, France, the Netherlands, England and Argentina. And it folded in the second half, with Van Gaal acknowledging his side was outfought and outhustled.
Add FC Midtjylland — a team formed as recently as 1999 and with 8,000 followers on Twitter compared to United’s 7 million — to the list of so-called minnows to have conquered United this season. It also includes Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke in the Premier League.
Next up for Van Gaal’s sorry bunch is a trip to central English market town Shrewsbury, where the third-tier team looks to pile on the misery for United in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday.
Then comes the second leg against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday before a Premier League match against Arsenal on Sunday.
It is shaping up to be a make-orbreak six days for Van Gaal and his depleted team.