When you're playing Football Manager you always know to never criticise your players in public. There are plenty of outs if his performance hasn't been up to scratch. You can blame the opposition goalkeeper, say he was getting in great positions etc. but Louis Van Gaal opts for the more blunt approach.
Following United's 3-1 win over San Jose, their manager was critical of their second half performance, including half time substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger. When asked about the German's performance, Van Gaal came straight out and said 'he was also bad.'
The Dutchman did give Schweinsteiger the benefit of the doubt however; adding:
Players can play bad and certainly when you have only three days or six days training sessions in your legs and you have to play 45 minutes.
Everybody can say that it's easy to step in but it is not easy.
I think the first match he played very well, and now he played bad. But that is also a process and certainly when you only have one week of training.
Van Gaal made 10 half-time substitutions but the only one he was impressed with was Andreas Pereira, who scored a second half goal:
In the second half, I think we played very badly, a lot of ball losses, unnecessary, and the only highlight was the goal from Pereira and I think we don't give many chances away but we give possibilities away.
It was a threat always and that was not necessary. Our positions in midfield was not so good as in the first half.
Meanwhile I jokingly suggested Fernando Llorente fits the big man up front bill that would be needed as Van Gaal's secret striker and low and behold the rumours are that it's actually him.
Hat-tip: 101greatgoals
