Louis van Gaal: Sticks And Stones Break My Bones But Names Never Hurt Me

If you were a Manchester United manager, how would you have reacted to a former player's criticism? Admittedly Manchester United have no...

If you were a Manchester United manager, how would you have reacted to a former player's criticism? Admittedly Manchester United have not been a free scoring side as they were before.

Louis van Gaal dismissed Paul Scholes’s disapproval that Manchester United are boring, with the manager saying “sticks and stones can break my bones but names never hurt me”.

On Wednesday evening at Old Trafford United were knocked out by Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup on penalties. This followed a grim goalless draw with Manchester City that made Scholes to state he would “not enjoy” playing for Van Gaal’s side.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal defended the style of his team in the wake of criticism from former midfielder Paul Scholes. Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

However, the manager defended the style of his team, insisting that they do take risks. “No, now you are agreeing with Paul Scholes’s opinion; I always take risks. I always use Dutch expression, but you have a fantastic expression for that ‘sticks and stones can break my bones, but names [words] will never hurt me’,” the 64-year-old said. “Fantastic, fantastic expression. You do understand the meaning of this?

“He [Scholes] doesn’t have the responsibility so he can say everything. Why is he saying something? Because of the benefit of the club or for the benefit for him? He is a legend and he has a lot of resonance, I have heard. I know when we shall lose and lose I shall be finished – but I will do everything for this club because of the fans, who are unbelievable.”
Van Gaal suggested Scholes, who made the comments on BBC Radio Manchester, should speak direct to Ryan Giggs, his former team-mate and the Dutchman’s assistant, or to Ed Woodward, the club’s executive vice-chairman.
“I think when you are a legend, you have to speak with the manager or his friend, Ryan Giggs, or Ed Woodward, but not this way, because he will be paid by the BBC or Sky. When Scholes thinks I should go, then I go,” the manager said. “But he is not a responsible man, he is not the Glazers or Ed Woodward.”

Van Gaal also has injury problems with James Wilson, Memphis Depay and Antonio Valencia all a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace. Depay and Wilson were both injured in the Middlesbrough game while Valencia hurt his foot in the Manchester derby.

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