February started well for Louis van Gaal. His Manchester United side beat Stoke and newspaper football writers tentatively suggested his fortunes might be looking up.
Then came Thursday night’s Europa League defeat by the Danish side Midtjylland and the season-long press criticism of United’s Dutch manager resumed and redoubled.
“This will go down as one of their greatest humiliations in Europe”, wrote Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail. His press box mates clearly agreed, as did the headline-writers.
So, for your delectation, though obviously not for Van Gaal’s, here’s a selection of Friday sports page headlines:
“Minnows humiliate Van Gaal” and “Van Gaal’s pathetic side betray United’s proud history” (The Times); “Humiliation for Van Gaal” and “Nowhere to hide for Van Gaal after Danish humiliation” (Daily Telegraph);
“Van Gaal defiant after dismal United leave him cursing with angry fans” and “Denmark’s finest reveal something in the state of Van Gaal’s United” (The Guardian); “Depths of despair for Van Gaal” and “New low as United suffer their worst night in Europe” (The Independent and i);
The tabloids offered puns and rhymes: “Fans are right, my team is s***e” and “Lland of the fairies” (The Sun); “Time to Lego now LVG” (Daily Mirror); “Humiliated” and “The Lego men topple Louis” (Daily Mail);
“United sink to new low” and “The turn of the Shrew” (Daily Express); “Euro trash” and “Dane pain for Van” (Daily Star); “Insult and injury” (Metro).
And, for good/bad measure, the Manchester Evening News ran a headline demanding that United sack Van Gaal now. See this MEN website page.
