Louis van Gaal has never been one to sugarcoat anything. The defiantly blunt Dutch coach delivered another searing review of his unloved former employers Manchester United, insisting that the key factor behind the club’s steady decline has not changed since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in 2024.
Van Gaal took over the listing behemoth in 2014, inheriting the chaos which had unfolded under David Moyes just one year on from Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. During his two-year spell at Old Trafford, which saw United finish fourth and fifth while winning the 2016 FA Cup, Van Gaal was quick to criticise the club’s mangled hierarchy.
