When the Manchester United home jersey 2015/16 arrived last summer, it was the first time Adidas have manufactured a kit for the Red Devils since 1992. Adidas paid handsomely for the privilege of outfitting United's players, with a world-record 10-year deal that will be worth a minimum of £750Â million when all is said and done. So far, though, Adidas aren't 100 percent satisfied with their investment.
Adidas: Happy with the Jersey Revenues, Not Happy with the On-Pitch Play
One of the biggest headlines in the football world last week revolved not around players or coaches, but rather around the comments of Herbert Hainer-Adidas' chief executive. The CEO voiced his company's concerns over the Red Devils' recent performances, noting that Manchester United's current on-pitch playing style is "not exactly what we want to see."
Hainer also noted that the Manchester United jersey business is already going well for Adidas, and he didn't seem to have any qualms or regrets about the substantial sum of money his company paid to become the soccer club's kit manufacturer. He did concede, though, that Man United's play this season has been just a bit boring-a criticism that had been lobbied against the team more or less ever since Louis van Gaal took over as manager 18 months ago.
A Boring Team
Of course, Herbert Hainer is not the first person to suggest that Manchester United's playing style under Louis van Gaal is surprisingly dull. Once a stronghold of impressive attackers and offensive edge, Manchester United have struggled to come up with goals since Van Gaal became the club's head coach.
Defensively, the Red Devils remain one of the best football squads in the Premier League. Their "goals against" tally is one of the lowest on the table this season, and goalkeeper David de Gea has done well keeping clean sheets-despite the fact that he was virtually out the door to Real Madrid at the start of the campaign. Clearly, Van Gaal's more tactical, reserved style of play is paying off somewhere.
The issue is, it's not paying off in terms of wins. Jose Mourinho's Chelsea team were criticized as "boring" for the entirety of the 2014/15 campaign. Ultimately, though, those critiques were a footnote on the soccer club's impressive season. Chelsea may have been too conservative-and that defensive style of play might even have led directly to their round of 16 elimination from the Champions League-but the Blues still won games, and at the end of the year, they were still the rightful Premier League champions.
By contrast, Manchester United aren't winning games. The club's solid defense hasn't been enough to make up for their dull, catatonic offense. In fact, prior to a January 2nd victory against Swansea City, the Red Devils hadn't won any game, in any competition, since November 21st. Furthermore, the 2-1 win against Swansea would have been a draw if not for a 77-minute goal from Wayne Rooney. Considering Swansea's position just above the relegation zone, that game illuminated Manchester United's current failings as well as any of their recent losses.
Louis van Gaal: Coaching on Borrowed Time?
For awhile, fans were blaming players for Manchester United's lack of momentum. Angel Di Maria got thrown under the bus last season for his ineffectual performance, despite how well he had done at Real Madrid before coming to England. Similarly, this season, Wayne Rooney, Memphis Depay, and Anthony Martial have all drawn considerable ire from the press and the stands.
Slowly, though, the tides seem to be shifting against Louis van Gaal. Rooney was on fire in England's qualifiers for Euro 2016 but hasn't been effective at Man United lately. Depay and Martial both came to Old Trafford this season, young players fresh off incredible seasons at their former clubs, but both have struggled to meet expectations. The common denominator is Van Gaal, a coach seemingly unwilling to let his talented attackers loose on the competition. With rumors that United might be courting Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, is Louis van Gaal coaching the football club on borrowed time?
What do you think? Do you blame Louis van Gaal for Manchester United's sleepy play style and middling performance this season, or is there another cause for the problems at Old Trafford? And what changes, if any, will the next few weeks bring to United's coaching staff? Follow Soccer Box on social media to get the latest news on Louis van Gaal and Manchester United! You can find us on multiple platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
