Share

Schneiderlin: I didn't enjoy myself under Van Gaal

Cape Town - Former Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has revealed that his time playing under Louis van Gaal was not enjoyable.

The Everton man was signed by United for £24 million in 2015, but was sold to the Toffees by current Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho 18 months later.

Schneiderlin has spoken of his first season at United and how frustrating it was to play under then-manager Van Gaal.

"That first year with Louis van Gaal sticks in my throat a bit," he told L'Equipe. "I didn't enjoy myself at all on the pitch. He left me very little freedom in my game, even though I have quite a lot of Premier League experience.

"With him, I had the impression of playing like a robot. I was told: 'You must never go and look for the ball in this area of the pitch, you must not do this, that...' Those instructions perhaps disturbed me a bit.

"When a player asks himself during a game, 'But what does the coach want me to do in this situation?' he starts to perform less well.

"Especially at Manchester United in a context where all the matches are scrutinised by the media and where you can quickly be criticised from everywhere."

Meanwhile Zlatan Ibrahimovic says that Jose Mourinho is the right man to return United to the top of the Premier League, but agrees the current squad needs improvement.

The Red Devils are currently seven points adrift of a Champions League spot, albeit with two matches in-hand on fourth-placed Manchester City.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1814 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE