Kanchelskis: Man Utd playing ‘disgustingly’ and ‘like robots’

Rob Conlon
Drought: United have failed to score in over five hours of football

Drought: United have failed to score in over five hours of football

Andrei Kanchelskis has slammed Louis van Gaal for making Manchester United play “disgustingly” and “like robots”.

Following the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday, United have now played over five hours of football without scoring, and have been knocked out of the League Cup by Championship side Middlesbrough during that time.

This has led to a barrage of criticism of Van Gaal’s style of play from the likes of Paul Scholes, Alan Shearer, Yohan Cabaye and now former United favourite Kanchelskis.

“Van Gaal is too pragmatic, his footballers play like robots,” he said.

“They are kept within a strict framework, they are not allowed to improvise, contrary to what Ferguson allowed us to do. Van Gaal, of course, is a good coach but, in my opinion, he is not for Manchester United. I’m looking at his game for the second season now.

“He says that the transformation is going on, but I still couldn’t understand what he is looking for. There is an impression that he doesn’t know what he wants. No creative players, no wingers. Nobody could serve Wayne Rooney.

“The current Manchester is not the same as it was under Ferguson.”

The former Russia international spent four years at Old Trafford during the 90’s, and was part of the squad which ended the club’s 26-year wait to win the title in 1993.

However the 46-year-old pulled no punches in his damning assessment of the current team.

“The first game against CSKA showed that it’s possible to win against this team,” he told Sport Express.

“I was at the stadium and I was surprised how disgustingly United played in the first half. A lot of ball control but no sharpness at all. In the second half it got better because of the substitution of Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was slowing the game down. I guess, Manchester United is not his team.

“It’s in the history and tradition of Man United to play wide and be sharp at the flanks but there is nothing like this now. Yes, changes in the second half had worked. Marouane Fellaini was a good sub and, if he were used properly, he could be very useful.”

Kanchelskis, who also had a short spell at Manchester City, revealed he was distinctly unimpressed by the Dutchman on the one occasion they worked together.

“I met van Gaal in person once. It was in Tbilisi, at the farewell game of Shota Arveladze. Van Gaal was a manager of a World XI, where I played,” he added.

“He seemed a little bit arrogant. He smiled very rarely, as if he has always had some problems and somebody was to blame. He regarded that game against a Georgian team as very serious, as if it was obligatory to win.

“The approach was so serious that Van Gaal was walking with his folder and was writing something during the game! For me it looked crazy.”

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