Van Gaal not right for United, says Kanchelskis

Andrei Kanchelskis is the latest former Manchester United star to attack manager Louis van Gaal, claiming the Dutchman has turned the players into robots and saying he is not the right man for the club.

Last week, United great Paul Scholes claimed no-one would like to play in the current side under Van Gaal and suggested that his negative tactics were the reason for captain Wayne Rooney’s slump in form.

Kanchelskis – who won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup during a four-year spell at Old Trafford – has now taken aim at the Dutchman’s “strict” methods ahead of United’s Champions League clash against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.

“The first game against CSKA showed that it’s possible to win against this team,” he told Sport Express.

“I was at the stadium and I was surprised at how disgustingly United played in the first half. A lot of ball control but no sharpness at all.

“In the second half it got better because of the substitution of Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was slowing the game down. I guess, Manchester United is not his team.

“It’s in the history and tradition of Man United to play wide and be sharp at the flanks but there is nothing like this now.

“Van Gaal is too pragmatic, his footballers play like robots. They are kept within a strict framework, they are not allowed to improvise, contrary to what [Alex] Ferguson allowed us to do.

“Van Gaal, of course, is a good coach but, in my opinion, he is not for Manchester United. I’m looking at his game for the second season now.”