Reports in the press today claim that Manchester United players let Louis van Gaal know they had endured enough, following the 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The manager blamed the defeat on several reasons, including Anthony Martial not putting away the only chance United had on target (which was just one of the five shots United had over 90 minutes), miscommunication amongst the defenders, and Marcos Rojo.

Martial’s fault
Until the first goal, we were at least the equal team and the better chance was for us with Martial. It was a big chance, with a big space and a big time for him.

Defenders’ fault
We gave the goal away with miscommunication and then you know what happened next. Within five minutes, we were out of the game.

Rojo’s fault
You don’t clear your head and I think that is strongly expressed, because the second goal is a set-play and our best header, or one of our best headers, lost his duel and it was a fantastic header from Alderweireld. But it is happening and it cannot happen. That is also what I said to him.

Unsurprisingly, Van Gaal was not willing the accept any responsibility for his contribution to the result. Most people would argue the sensible approach to the game, after taking Marcus Rashford, would be to play Martial up front with Juan Mata behind him. Ashley Young and Jesse Lingard could then take up their natural positions outside. Instead, Van Gaal opted to play Young as the centre forward, Lingard as the number 10, with Mata and Martial out wide. Was this a mistake? No, Young being played in the unfamiliar role as striker, when he is usually played as left wing-back, left full-back, or left-wing, in his first appearance for three months, was because we needed someone to run in behind.

I wanted more running in behind because, in the first half, we didn’t have an attacking point and that is the reason.

Surely this is something Martial would have done better?

While the faults Van Gaal has mentioned are accurate, it is misleading to suggest that these individual errors were the only cause of the defeat, which is something that is apparently frustrating the players.

Rory Smith and Paul Hirst in The Times reported: His relationship with many of the present squad is strained. Although the young players he has brought through this season remain largely positive towards him and there is no widespread sense of mutiny, several of the more experienced members of his side are increasingly unimpressed by his tendency to blame them for setbacks. Van Gaal’s analysis of matches focuses on their failure to implement his tactical plans, rather than acknowledging any failure of the plan itself, both in public and private. They have grown increasingly baffled by his determination to play players out of position even after the injury crisis that has hampered the club this season has started to subside. That he makes plain their shortcomings – rather than admitting any mistakes on his part – has caused consternation.

Other reports claim that Van Gaal was highly critical of Rashford and Rojo in the dressing room, which lead to players speaking out against him, according to a “source”.

They blamed it all on the manager. You could hear everything. They don’t seem to have much time for him.

Superb preparation for United’s most important game of the season against West Ham tomorrow!