Neil Custis: Louis van Gaal Has 'Wiped The Smile' From Manchester United

Louis van Gaal is "deluded" and has "wiped the smile" from Manchester United, according to the Sunday Supplement panel.

Van Gaal has come in for heavy criticism during an underwhelming second season in charge at Old Trafford, as his side have struggled to make an impression in any competition.

In a damning verdict of the 64-year-old's spell at Manchester United, Neil Custis from The Sun believes that not only has Van Gaal ruined the club, but that he also makes every player he manages worse.

"[Van Gaal] has quite frankly wiped the smile off the face of Manchester United," Custis told the Sunday Supplement. "He has taken everything good about them away from the club and the height of how deluded he is is incredible because he doesn't see what he's done.

"He's 'Van Gaaled' so many players they might never be the same again. Players like [Marcus] Rashford, first two games he was brilliant, then Van Gaal had about three weeks with him and he's hardly touched the ball since!

"These players who have natural ability like Angel Di Maria, Van Gaal gets a hold of him and suddenly, where's this player gone? It's going to take about six months for these players to remember what it was like to be a natural, free-flowing footballer, because he's taken that away from them."

Custis went on to suggest Van Gaal has let Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward down, and that if the former Bayern Munich boss is allowed to continue at United, they will soon become also-rans like Liverpool.

"They've won 14 games in the last 35 in the league, it's astonishing," added Custis. "They've got the worst points total now for 30 years, they've managed the almost impossible in that they've been humiliated in two European competitions this season, not just the one. They've played 10 in Europe and won three.

"People are trying to point the finger at Ed Woodward, if anybody has been let down over this whole saga it's him who has been let down by Van Gaal. He's given him everything he's wanted to get the job done, he's bowed to his every whim.

"They cannot possibly let this go on, they should have made this decision after the Stoke game [on Boxing Day], and they would have had a chance to get in the top four. As it is they'll probably finish mid-table, it's just been such a mess.

"United have to quickly get back to challenging for the title or they're going to end up like Liverpool."

The Daily Mirror's Chief Football Writer John Cross was also hugely critical of Van Gaal, particularly for his management of the Europa League clash with Liverpool in midweek.

"The negativity surrounding Van Gaal has been absolutely overwhelming," said Cross. "I thought we had a little perk in performances around three or four weeks ago and that's been quickly extinguished. They're flat.

"What about his substitutions on Thursday night [against Liverpool]? Unbelievable. I guess he's short of forwards but he has got Memphis [Depay] on the bench and still doesn't bring him on and throws on three defenders. That says everything about him. They're chasing the impossible dream, but they've got to go and chase it, and he didn't.

"I thought his first season was good, he got them into the Champions League. But his second second, is it progress? Bearing in mind the money he spent, no. He just doesn't get United, he doesn't get the philosophy, he doesn't get any aspect of the attacking side of it, and that is so important."

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