Zaha Blames Van Gaal For Manchester United Failure

By Daily sports on February 13, 2021

Wilfried Zaha feels that he was set up to fail at Manchester United by former manager Louis van Gaal.

The Ivory Coast international joined the Red Devils from Crystal Palace in January 2013 and turned out to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing before the Scotsman retired from coaching at the end of the 2012-13 season.

Zaha struggled to break into United’s first team under both David Moyes and Van Gaal and recently revealed how the Dutchman made it almost impossible for him, following his return to Old Trafford after a loan spell at Cardiff City in 2014.

“I went back to United after that and it was Louis van Gaal by then,” Zaha told On The Judy podcast. “When he came, it was after the World Cup where he played Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben up front [for the Netherlands].

“He gave me two options: you’re either a wing-back or a striker. Those are positions I’d never played before, it was like I’m being set up to fail.

“This was after coming back from the David Moyes era and I was just shattered with how everything didn’t work out for me. Then I go back, I get ‘either you’re a striker or a wing-back’ – and I couldn’t do either.

“I can vary my game now. With years of playing you get experience. You’ve seen me play up front for Palace these days. Back then I wasn’t good with my back to goal because I didn’t have the awareness. I’d stand on the ball and the defender would poke it away. I wasn’t good with that.”

“I remember I had to play striker in pre-season. We were playing teams like Inter, I had to play against [Nemanja] Vidic. We played against Real Madrid, I’m playing against Pepe and [Sergio] Ramos up front. It was like, ‘this guy is boying me’. Bro, I’m being thrown in the deep end against the maddest teams.”

Zaha, now 28, returned to Crystal Palace on an initial loan deal in 2014 before making the move permanent in February 2015 and has been at Selhurst Park since. The Eagles winger has scored 66 goals in 382 appearances for the London club. He only played a total of four first-team matches for United. (African Football)

•PHOTO: Wilfred Zaha

Source Daily sports

Posted February 13, 2021


 

You may also like...
I’ll forever be grateful to Arsenal – Fabregas...

Federer to meet Djokovic in Cincinnati final

England captain Harry Kane will wear OneLove armband...

Ronaldo on song as Juventus maintain unbeaten Serie...

Amusan eyes new world record

No Football Association In Nigeria Can Survive Without...

 

Latest News Nigeria beat Cameroon to reach IHF final 27 schools for Doregos Basketball Championship Super Falcons to play France’s Les Bleues in friendly SWAN suspends ban on coverage of Anambra FA activities Joshua among boxing’s top three earners in 2024 Oshoala makes history with Bay FC Nnamani hails team over IHF bright start Flamingos lift U-17 W’Cup Fair Play Trophy Rangers Intl, SWAN partner on sports collaboration in SE LAGOS SWAN CELEBRATES AIG ZONE 2 ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND 30 DAYS IN OFFICE Traders Cup: Upholstery Soccer Team Secured 2nd Win To Advance To Round Two Lagos SWAN Celebrates Oba Akiolu, Iyaloja General, AIG Fayoade

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,140 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,267 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,349 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (43,988 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,930 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,877 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,717 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,286 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,331 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,034 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,486 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,915 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media