Former Manchester United winger Nani has claimed Louis van Gaal treats his players like children and attributes the club’s less than stellar performances this season to this attitude of the manager.
Nani made just one Premier League appearance under Van Gaal before the Dutchman shipped him out on loan to Sporting Lisbon in August 2014. The Portuguese was then sold to Fenerbahce 12 months later.
United have flattered to deceive during Van Gaal’s reign, and he is widely expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.
And Nani has lifted the lid on the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss’ managerial style, while also comparing United’s current squad unfavourably to those assembled by Alex Ferguson – the man who signed him from Sporting in 2007.
“He didn’t use me a lot in pre-season. I was the player who had the least time in all the games and I was feeling, ‘This coach doesn’t count on me’,” Nani told the Sunday Times.
“He and his assistant were shouting at players like we were kids, like 18-year-olds.
“And I think, ‘This is not the way to treat us because I am professional, I am training every day, I’m doing nothing wrong, I’m putting quality in the training’.
“Now when you see Manchester, it’s not Manchester. With all respect to the players who are there, the personality, the mentality is all different.
“When you see Manchester United go inside the pitch you see a new era.
“Before you had big names, experienced players who represent so many years at the club. Now you see players who are maybe in their first year, their first time in the Premier League. It’s all new.”
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