Where are the results Mr. Van Gaal?

In Sunday's Manchester derby, Manchester United looked like a side that is improving. But, Louis Van Gaal's team must start winning to allay fears of a last season repeat.

So Manchester is blue. After football pundits from across the globe had dissected a gripping, but at times banal Manchester derby, a post on Twitter caught my attention. A United fan had tweeted, “Genuinely feel sorry for you if you don't see a difference between Moyes and Van Gaal. Pick up a new sport. Bog snorkelling, perhaps.” United fans’ fanaticism can be bothersome at times, but this man seemed to know his football.
 
A 10-man Manchester United under David Moyes would have probably capitulated, letting in a couple more goals and made a pretty average City side on the day, look overly exceptional. Despite being a man light, thanks to Chris Smalling’s calamitous decision making, Louis Van Gaal’s United took the game to the old enemy in the second half, showing heart and courage that was woefully missing during Moyes’ tenure. Wayne Rooney darted his way past a flurry of defenders only to be kept out by a last ditch tackle from Martin Demicheles, Robin Van Persie worked tirelessly in a lone role up-front, and Marouane Fellaini bullied and barged people out of his as way if he were playing in the blue of Everton. Shades of the United of old. Bog snorkelling, by the way, is a sporting event where a competitor swims through a bog using a snorkel to breath in the shortest time possible. If you thought the Brits were mad, this will help you make your mind up.

 
In spite of United’s gallant efforts, the harsh reality for Van Gaal and his men is that they find themselves languishing at 10th in the table, 13 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea. Ten games into the season, and United are yet to win on their travels. Moreover, they’ve dropped points against Sunderland, Burnley and Leicester City, teams that find themselves at the wrong end of the table. And with the never ending troubles in defence, Van Gaal’s task seems to have got all the more tougher.
 

At a nervy Etihad on Sunday, City weren’t brilliant either. The fact that they could get past a central defensive pairing of Michael Carrick and Paddy McNair just once, and got dominated by a 10-man team towards the end of the game was enough proof of that. But, one has to accept the fact that City are no longer just the “Noisy Neighbours”. They are clearly and by far, the driving force in Manchester. With four derby wins on the trot, the balance of power has shifted in the north-west of England. Sir Alex Ferguson built an empire that for so long seemed impenetrable. Now that the dynasty has crumbled, it seems it will take forever to get back on its feet.

 
Van Gaal has the right personnel to make that happen, in offense at least. With a player like Angel Di Maria in his ranks, he must find a way to make the best use of him in crunch games. The Argentine, by his high standards, put in a prosaic display on Sunday. There was the sporadic flash of brilliance, but his phenomenal ability of tearing defences apart was no where to be seen. United may be improving with each game, but unfortunately that is not reflecting on their position in the league table. The “We played well, but didn’t get anything out of the game” rhetoric has to change. These words suit a Harry Redknapp or a Paul Lambert, not a team of the calibre of United and a manager like Van Gaal. The Dutchman’s honeymoon period is over. These “improving performances” have to start translating into wins. It is only a matter of time before the fans’ impatience grows and Van Gaal finds himself in the firing line.