"?Speaking exclusively to 888sport, former Manchester United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen has said that the club's board is to blame for the speculation around Louis van Gaal's job, and questioned whether Jose Mourinho is the right manager to succeed the Dutchman.
Meulensteen said that while the club's performances were below anything that Sir Alex Ferguson - to whom he served as assistant manager for six years - would have accepted, the board should have clarified the managerial situation by now.
He said: "It's not very good for the club, the players and Louis van Gaal that there's been so many rumours. Louis has been very clear in saying he will be there next season. That's fine. But the club should back that up. There has been a lack of clarity and they've allowed the situation to be drawn out over the last six months."?
Speaking about Mourinho, who has been constantly linked with the job for the last six months, he claimed: "It's not a secret that he would like the job and he's been a very successful manager in England and across Europe but does he know what it takes to make United like it was under Sir Alex Ferguson? I'm not so sure because then you have to wonder why he didn't succeed Sir Alex Ferguson."?
He also spoke about the criticisms of United's style under Van Gaal, saying: "I know where the fans are coming from because I've been part of the Manchester United set-up for over twelve years so I knew what was required and what Sir Alex Ferguson demanded. Yes there was pressure to win and get results but the way we got those results was always very important as well.
49 - Man Utd have ended a league season with fewer than 50 goals for only the 5th time since WWII (+ 1973, 1974, 1989 & 1990). Austerity.
"The obligation to entertain and play attacking and creative football was always the first thing on the sheet. He (Van Gaal) realised 1-0s could win you leagues but there are different ways of winning 1-0. With adventure comes freedom to express. You need to give them the freedom to express themselves and allow them to make their own decisions. From that comes belief."?
Meulensteen also questioned the praise Van Gaal has received in some areas for bringing through United's youth players, saying: "Louis van Gaal obviously had quite a bit of money to spend but with injuries his hand has been forced to play a lot of young players through the academy.
"A lot of people are getting carried away with it but if you really look how many have established themselves you can only say that Marcus Rashford has made his mark in the first team. All the other ones have come in then come out."?
He also said that Marouane Fellaini is not a 'Manchester United player', saying: "Not in my personal opinion. He has come into the club when David took over and he thought he could do a job. To be fair to Fellaini he was worked hard and scored some important goals but in the mould of United with creativity and pace other players spring to my mind."?
Read the full 888sport interview with Rene Meulensteen here, including his thoughts on how Sir Alex Ferguson would have reacted to the level of performance this season and why Scholes is right to criticise Louis Vvn Gaal.
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