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Louis van Gaal claims Jose Mourinho's Manchester United is 'far more boring' than his was

Mourinho's tactics have come in for a lot of criticism after the Manchester derby

Jack Austin
Tuesday 12 December 2017 11:35 GMT
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Van Gaal is still hurt by how he was sacked by United
Van Gaal is still hurt by how he was sacked by United (Getty)

Louis van Gaal has continued his verbal attack on Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, claiming the football being played at the club now is far more boring than when he was in charge.

The Dutchman has hit out at the style of football being played at Old Trafford in the past and is still hurt by how his sacking from the club in 2016 was handled, especially in the aftermath of an FA Cup victory.

Mourinho was criticised for how he opted to play in the Manchester derby as City dominated possession and territory but Van Gaal believes he was more harshly treated for his tactics than his successor.

“We played football that was quite all right. But it's not football that is appreciated in England,” Van Gaal told Fox Sports in the Netherlands. “Right now, looking at United, I have to conclude Mourinho is not being criticised while it's far more boring football. What United produce now is defensive football.

“I always played attacking football. The proof is that the opposition were always parking the bus. They don't do that now because Mourinho plays so defensive.”

Despite the criticism of Mourinho’s style, Van Gaal insisted that he holds no grudge against him.

“He is not an awful man,” he added. “I think he is a sympathetic guy. He was my assistant at Barcelona.

“I worked with him and what Mourinho did is what often happens in football.”

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