It was Louis van Gaal’s obsession with possession that was the breaking point. Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick had to state their case.
Manchester United had beaten Tottenham at Old Trafford the day before but the atmosphere at the Carrington training complex afterwards was not one of euphoria, more of despair.
Respect for the hardline Dutch coach with the Iron Tulip moniker has never been in question but the regimented system Van Gaal had installed was taking its toll.
Manchester United's first team stars are disappointed with the way Louis van Gaal treated Victor Valdes and former right back Rafael da Silva
Manchester United goalkeeper Valdes has been left in the stands after falling out with Van Gaal
Rafael left to Manchester United to join French outfit Lyon after falling out of favour at Old Trafford
Players groaned at the monotony of training, the team meetings, unit meetings for the defence, midfield and attack — oh, and the debriefs.
The blunt, often critical delivery of video analyst Max Reckers and the abrasive manner in which Victor Valdes and Rafael da Silva were dispatched from the first team dressing room.
Rooney and Carrick, as captain and vice-captain, are ‘afforded special privileges’ says Van Gaal, and they plucked up the courage to air the team’s views. There was no challenge of authority, merely a plea to hear their case. Van Gaal took it on board but little has changed.
As the mercurial Brian Clough famously mused ‘we talk about it for 20 minutes then we decide I was right’.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is damning in his assessment. ‘It’s not a type of football I enjoy watching,’ he said. ‘It’s methodical and really slow going side to side.’
Methodical is the operative view shared by several of United’s players; jaded by repetitive training drills and the constant dissection of their every move.
Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, who confronted Van Gaal earlier this season, arrive at training
Van Gaal's rigid training methods have come under question from his own players, it has emerged
Max Reckers conducts research before passing on information to Van Gaal and his coaching staff
The cavalier spirit of Sir Alex Ferguson’s era may be a distant memory but the attention to detail is essential to Van Gaal’s famed philosophy.
Video analyst Reckers enjoys a central role yet his input is not always enjoyed by the players. A perceived tendency to concentrate on weaknesses rather than strengths is not thought to have helped matters, along with forensic examinations of each player’s positioning.
As you would expect, Van Gaal has unswerving faith in his compatriot, a former hockey player.
‘It’s unbelievable because he’s not only my computer guru, he’s like my son,’ said Van Gaal. ‘But he’s not called Van Gaal, his name is Max Reckers and he is a performance analyst.
'He collects all the data that we need. We have a lot of data because at Manchester United there was already a philosophy that you have to measure everything and it’s called the sport science department. It’s unbelievable what organisation you have to make for such a big group at such a big club.’
The Manchester United manager is known to be very inflexible with his approach, upsetting his senior stars
Players are said to be unhappy with Van Gaal's methods, and are not currently enjoying their football
The Old Trafford boss has not adjusted his approach so far, despite complaints from his senior players
That organisation and regimented tone has been set for some time: train, eat, sleep, repeat. In his defence, Van Gaal protected his players from an arduous summer tour across the USA last summer but made it clear they were there to work.
Training times were adjusted to coincide with the kick-off of their next match. On Wednesday this week, players returned from international duty but had a light session at 5.30pm, with Saturday's teatime kick-off against Liverpool in mind.
That is not unwelcome for United’s players, their concern is a lack of enjoyment and freedom to be more expressive.
As Ferdinand observed: ‘You associate Manchester United with pace and power, explosive fantasy in the final third, but that’s not the way it is now.
According to former Manchester United ace Rio Ferdinand, Van Gaal's philosophy is stifling attacking play
Former United defender Ferdinand, speaking at the launch of BT Sport's Champions League coverage
Van Gaal has a history of falling out with his players, and the atmosphere at the club has deteriorated
‘Manchester United fans are having to re-educate themselves. You’re not going to see what you saw for the last 25 years. Van Gaal has got a clear idea of how he wants the team to play. It’s very methodical.’
The approach has so far failed to ignite United’s campaign and with just three goals scored — three fewer than bottom club Sunderland — in four games.
Addressing United executive club members on Wednesday evening, Van Gaal admitted he did not expect his side to win the title this season but that next year was realistic. To those who queried the recent capitulation to Swansea and worried about what could be expected against Liverpool, he stated: ‘Don’t worry, we will win.’
The Dutchman, it seems, possesses no doubt about his methods. His players may beg to differ.
The Manchester United boss watches on, but his players claim they feel like they are wearing 'straitjackets'
Players feel that Van Gaal's methods are too structured and they are not allowed to take any chances
The complaints came after an opening-day win over Tottenham, where United managed just one shot on target
Van Gaal's side lost their last game before the international break, when they were beaten 2-1 by Swansea
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