Still Following the Trawler

I don't know if anyone is still up. But LVG is cracking me up here. Great entertainment! — Gary Neville (@GNev2) May 19, 2015 Hahahaha! Giggsy sent him back up to thank the saxophonist!! — Gary Neville (@GNev2) May 19, 2015 One of the best / funniest 20 mins I've ever had! — Gary Neville (@GNev2) May 19, 2015 Here we go. Going to watch the LVG speech all day on a loop! Imagine him in Albert Square when United win the league. Start Queueing now! — Gary Neville (@GNev2) May 20, 2015 LVG for Labour leader. Imagine PMQ's v Cameron. Be worth more than the Premier League rights! — Gary Neville (@GNev2) May 20, 2015

I'm sure you've all heard by now, but the manager was on one last night at the end of year United Player of the Year Awards. To say his speech, that wrapped up an evening that saw De Gea deservedly walk away as double winner , is the understatement of the century. So for your enjoyment, here's Louis van Gaal's speech in full...

listen to ‘Van Gaal On Win Over Tottenham’ on audioBoom listen to ‘Pochettino: It's a bad day.’ on audioBoom

Via  Red Mancunia : I enjoyed reading this article from Red Mancunia last week about LVG's enigmatic philosophy. Our manager is very proud of the aforementioned 'philosophy' and, as the performances fail to improve, is quick to remind us that the team is working towards perfecting and adhering to this philosophy. But, as the lazy football continues, what exactly is this philosophy? And assuming is does have something to do with playing a better quality of football than what we are currently witnessing, when is it going to work...and what is it going to take to get it working??

So a few things have worried me about van Gaal's latest admission that Marouane Fellaini is United's secret weapon this season. Aside from suggesting that Fellaini, i.e. the scapegoat of last season and representation of Moyes' failed tenure as United manager, is the difference between United succeeding and failing this season; the fact he is bragging about successfully instilling the full effect of said "secret weapon" against Preston is a little embarrassing and raises the question: "would it not have made sense to play this way from the start and thus avoid the potential of being knocked out of the FA Cup by a League One side"? By replacing the doomed Falcao with Young and playing Fellaini up-front alongside Rooney United did indeed experience our most effective period of the game, scoring all three of our goals and, in the end, winning the game comfortably. But the change came only after a poor half of football and Preston going 1-0 at the start of ...

Every week, as another game approaches, it feels like yet another opportunity for United to turn a corner and show the world that the new United is really just like the old United. Yet it never happens. The romantic football fan in me still gets excited when I see those superstars line-up for United – I had to pinch myself when I saw Falcao, Di Maria, Rooney and Van Persie start together for the first time – yet that feeling of expectation is soon transformed into disappointment. And, just like the performances, to be a United fan is currently unenjoyable and monotonous. So many questions, all beginning with a confused ‘why’, run through my head every time I have watched United play this season. Why is van Gaal so stubbornly sticking with his 3-5-2 formation when his ‘philosophy’ clearly isn’t improving or benefiting the team? Why is our defense, complete with some shiny new acquisitions, still so poor? Why is Herrera consistently left out of the starting XI? Why has it not worked as w...

Following on from Big Sam Allardyce's claim that United scored our late equaliser against the Hammers through deploying the dreaded long-ball tactic , van Gaal proceeded to respond in rather bizarre fashion - by producing a four-page dossier . As he delighted in showing his pretty document to all his friends in the media, proving that it was indeed West Ham that played a more direct, long-ball style during Sunday's 1-1 draw, I couldn't help but hide my face in embarrassment and remember this... For someone as established and respected as van Gaal to allow the likes of of Big Sam - who's honours include (and end with) losing the 2004 League Cup final - get under his skin is extremely worrying. And yesterday's display just made him look a little worried and distracted; as Benitez did in 2009. There is no denying that the man is a bit of a narcissist and someone supremely concerned with his own style and 'philosophy' as a manager, but really would it not have b...