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Sir Alex Ferguson defends Louis van Gaal: Manchester United fans need 'patience'

Former United boss says Dutchman has had to deal with an injury crisis

Thursday 31 March 2016 15:44 BST

Louis van Gaal and Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009 (Getty Images)

Sir Alex Ferguson has moved to defend current Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, stating that the Dutchman has had to deal with an injury crisis that has derailed the season.

The Scot, who won 13 Premier League titles at Old Trafford as well as the Champions League twice, has been a regular visitor to his former club this season, who have endured a campaign of fits and starts.

United are currently sixth in the table, a point off the fourth Champions League spot currently held by rivals Manchester City.

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

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1/10Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Michael Carrick

The Old Trafford career of Manchester United’s second longest-serving player is coming to an end. Last year’s decision to hand him a one-year extension was questionable, this year it would be unjustified. It’s time to call it a day.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

One of the quieter disappointments of Louis van Gaal’s tenure. Rojo has rarely, if ever, put in an above-average performance and cost his team too often. A tournament-inspired signing if ever there was one and likely to go out the door with his manager, who has also disappointed after an eye-catching World Cup.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Memphis Depay

His season has been, to put it in the kindest terms, ‘mercurial’. Brief, perhaps very brief, glimpses at his talent have been outweighed by truly anaemic, gutless performances. His youth should be enough to dissuade the club’s hierarchy from cashing in but Depay will need to show a serious volte-face in his second season to turn his Old Trafford fortunes around.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Juan Mata

In truth, if Jose Mourinho takes over at Old Trafford as expected, there may be little that the Spaniard can do to convince his new manager that he should be kept on. His fate, in that sense, may be sealed. Nevertheless, Mata can hardly claim to have fully established himself at Old Trafford and still has a number of doubters. A few weeks in his preferred no. 10 role could do him a world of good.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Marouane Fellaini

Quite easily the most unpopular man at Old Trafford on any given matchday and this season, that’s saying something. He wants to do well, that’s clear, but he simply does not have the requisite technical quality and tries to make up for it by elbowing people. His time’s up.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Paddy McNair

Alongside Tyler Blackett, McNair provides the stand-out argument against those who uncritically praise Van Gaal’s promotion of youth. Sadly he, nor Blackett, are good enough and should not have been relied upon so much at points during the Dutchman’s first season. In truth, both may have already made their last appearances for United.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

Surprisingly, the young full-back still has not been tied down to a long-term contract, despite his impressive performances since breaking into the side. Talks are understood to have begun but Borthwick-Jackson’s contract expires in June and his future won’t be certain until the dotted line is signed.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Antonio Valencia

His brilliant 2011/12 campaign established him as a firm favourite among supporters but his surrender of the no. 7 shirt the year after marked him as a player who sometimes struggles with a weight of expectation on his shoulders. Ever since, he’s been a figure on the fringes and only on the odd occasions that he’s fit. Sell up before his contract expires next year.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Adnan Januzaj

Packed off on loan to Borussia Dortmund, sent back early after starting just three times and just two substitute appearances since his return. It’s all a far cry from having three football associations fight over your international allegiance. Where Januzaj goes next is unclear but he acts a forewarning to the likes of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford – consistency, not just youthful exuberance, is needed to prosper at United.

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Andreas Pereira

The Belgian-born Brazilian has shown his talent at times but, like Januzaj, seems to be another academy product who’s stalling in the reserves while others prosper. He needs with a loan move to gain competitive minutes, perhaps on the continent, or he risks complete stagnation.

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Van Gaal has heard boos and jeers throughout this season, especially with the club playing a boring, possession based style of football that has seen many supporters lose patients with his methods.

The Dutch coach is under huge pressure and appears in danger of being sacked at the end of the season, despite having another year left on his contract, as former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho continues to be linked with the job.

Ferguson, in an interview to be aired on Sky Sports, has said that injuries have prevented United from competing, and that fans should be more "patient" with the club's current plight.

"It is dead easy to be critical," Ferguson he said.

"You have to be realistic about some things – the number of injuries he has had: Phil Jones has played only seven games this season, Ashley Young, [Antonio] Valencia, [Luke] Shaw, these are big losses.

"It doesn’t matter which team you are, if you have players missing of that calibre it has to have an impact on the team.

"The other aspect which is always easy to forget there are also five new players in their first season at United, and two are young players in [Anthony] Martial and Memphis [Depay] and their promise is good.

"You have to have some patience being a Manchester United fan and they have shown that over the years; in Matt Busby’s time, in my time.

"For 150 years of history, it is worth having a couple of years on the quiet side of success because they will always come back and come back strong."

Ferguson won the Premier League title in his final season in charge of the club in 2012/13. Since then, first under David Moyes and now Van Gaal, United have finished in seventh and then fourth in the Premier League.

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