Friday 11 December 2015 15:55, UK
Louis van Gaal is over-complicating matters at Manchester United, says Jamie Redknapp. And the Sky Sports pundit expects the Premier League title-chasers to face a tough test at Bournemouth on Saturday…
This could end up being an amazing season for Manchester United. It could also end up being a failure.
When you look at Chelsea or Arsenal, you can put your finger on where they are. But with United, it's so hard to tell.
They're in a really good position in the Premier League. Their Champions League exit was obviously disappointing but would it surprise me if they went on to win the Europa League? No it wouldn't.
Yet, there aren't too many of their players - if any - who you would say have had a really good season so far. Chris Smalling and David de Gea have done well but that's about it.
As for Van Gaal, the jury is still out on his work at Manchester United, for me.
He's obviously a very talented coach. We all know that and his record in the game is impressive. But he doesn't seem to be bringing the best out of these players. In fact, he seems to be the sort of guy who can drain all of their confidence out of them.
I remember playing against Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in a 1999 FA Cup tie. Liverpool were 1-0 up at Old Trafford but I looked over to the bench and just knew that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was going to come on.
Sometimes it feels like Van Gaal wants to show everyone how clever he is but football isn’t about that. There’s not as much mystique in the game as he’d like us to believe.
You could guess the substitutions Ferguson would make. And, just as I had predicted, Solskjaer came on - and helped United score two in the final two minutes to knock us out.
Ferguson was the master - but he didn't complicate things. If he needed a goal, he'd throw on a striker. He wouldn't have taken Juan Mata off when United were chasing the game like Van Gaal did in the Champions League against Wolfsburg.
Sometimes it feels like Van Gaal wants to show everyone how clever he is but football isn't about that. There's not as much mystique in the game as he'd like us to believe.
All in all, it's leading to frustration for the fans. After seeing him spend £250m on players, I'd be feeling very short changed if I was a United supporter.
But the players have to take responsibility too. When you're at home, drawing 0-0 with West Ham, it is up to you as a player to take a risk. Don't worry about what the manager will say afterwards, it's your duty to make something happen.
A lot of the players are hiding behind the manager at the moment.
And this is the strange position United are in. We can't say they're on track. We can't dress up the problems there. Yet they're in a strong position in the Premier League. They could go on to win the Premier League. And will probably sign a load of expensive players in January.
I'm intrigued to see how it works out for them.
I'm also intrigued to see how Bournemouth get on when they host United on Saturday Night Football.
They had a great result at Chelsea last weekend and I'm really pleased for them. I love what they're doing down there - and I think they'll stay up.
Bournemouth have been hit hard by injuries - like United - but it's the sort of game the visitors won't be looking forward to.
There will be a lot of talk about 1984, when Bournemouth beat United in the FA Cup and I wouldn't bet against another upset on Saturday.
Manchester United at home is a big occasion for the fans and players. It would have been one of the first games they would have looked for when the fixtures were announced.
After beating Chelsea, they'll be buzzing for this one - and I reckon they can pull off a 1-1 draw, which would be great reward for the work Eddie Howe and his team are doing on the south coast.
Watch Bournemouth v Manchester United live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 5pm on Saturday Night Football, or watch without a contract on NOW TV.
