The worst thing that could have possibly happened to Van Gaal came in the 5-3 defeat to Leicester City last year. As it happened, it was United's best attacking display under him. They were blistering in the first half, and in Angel Di Maria, United had a new hero. They go on to lose, Van Gaal pulls his hair out and vows to never concede a goal again. Di Maria is shipped off to the city of love, where he will surely be, and United revert to being as blunt as a pencil with its lead splintered inside the sharpener. If Fergie was marshalling the troops that day he would have called football crazy, smirked and moved on.
United's brand is bruised. Their brand of football however, is broken. Players are no longer household names, rather statistics are. United not scoring a first half goal in their last 11 games is today's trending fact. For a club built on exciting football, that is beyond shocking.
Have United fans ever really had it worse? I doubt even Dave Sexton's much maligned crop would play with such a lack of creativity. His results may have been worse but the football was surely not. I'm at a point now where a part of me wills our opposition to score in the hope it accelerates LVG's sacking. That's right, a part of me wants us to lose.
His style may not suit and his approach may be dated. However, one abiding trait of Van Gaal's tenure is absolutely unforgivable, that being his pitch side demeanour. We are the people from which Churchill rose; a demonstrative, vociferous and passionate group. If we see someone yelling we approve and we emphasise. We cannot do so with a man who leans forward and doodles on a clipboard. What is more difficult to see is Ryan Giggs anchored to the same dugout, neutered-like. A man who epitomises the polarity of Van Gaal to this great powerhouse, unable to enact change or even open his mouth it would seem.
Cristo Stoichkov, a former player under LVG, said recently that he 'destroyed Barcelona at that time.' At United he's been like a naughty child. He's spent all his parents money and has absolutely nothing to show for it. He's spoilt the family culture with his own bedroom rumination on how the beautiful game should be played. He's divided the extended family, that being the fans, and he resorts to using strange words around the house. The word 'philosophy' appears in every sentence he starts or in response to every question he fields. It's altogether a troublesome relationship.
It's not right to wish the sack on anyone. But being the manager of Manchester United comes with the same, if not greater expectations on performance. United have regressed this year, and if it were any employee in a company, with a good management structure, they would be called to account and made redundant. You cannot go backwards in a world moving forward at a frighteningly alarming speed. No Champions League football equals a disastrous hit on revenue, which means less money to spend on players, which means increasing likelihood of another dull season to follow, and the decline picks up momentum. It's a cycle that needs breaking and pronto. Just ask Leeds or Nottingham Forrest. No club is immune from tumbling down the ladder.