Daley Blind has urged United fans to keep the fans with Louis Van Gaal, insisting the Dutchman will get things right at the club and ensure United will challenge for trophies again.
The former Ajax man drew comparison with Holland’s performance at the World Cup, where Van Gaal steered a largely unfancied team to the semifinal and, ultimately, to third place after defeating Brazil in the third spot playoff.
“We didn’t play very great football at the World Cup but we were winning games and we started playing better after winning,” Blind said.
“You change the system and you get better, you become a team and you start winning. We believed in what we were doing.”
United’s 3-5-2 system has come under scrutiny this season, with fans chanting “4-4-2” on Saturday demanding Van Gaal switched to a more traditional formation, while Gary Neville has previously criticised United for “lacking tempo” and being “too slow”.
Blind, however, dismissed suggestions that United had become too predictable and insisted retaining the ball was just as important.
“I don’t think the whole philosophy of the club has changed in the way we’re playing. This is what the manager wants and I agree with it,” he said.
“It’s important to keep the ball and make the opponent more tired. It’s not always the case to finish the game in the first-half. But you can do it in the second-half, when the spaces become bigger when you have kept the ball for a long time.
“You have to wait for the right moment. It is all about waiting for the right moment. Sometimes the space is there but other times you have to keep the ball and wait for an opening.”
Earlier in the season, Neville criticised the Dutch midfielder for taking the “safe option” and passing the ball sideways too often but Blind said he will continue to do what Van Gaal asks him to do.
“Of course, I listen to him [Neville] but I try to play my own game and do what the trainer wants from me and that is to keep possession,” the 24-year-old said.
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