Van Gaal accuses United midfielder of defying his tactics

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has accused Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata of defying his tactics in the third round of the FA Cup match against Sheffield on Saturday.

According to Metro, the manager said he was forced to substitute the Spaniard after he did not to follow instructions to stick out in a wide position.

The 27-year-old has been playing on the right wing position under Van Gaal and was substituted in the 60^th minute  for Memphis Depay.

“We needed to play with wingers to make the pitch as big as possible. So we improved by restoring the shape,” Van Gaal said.

“Memphis and Lingard did that, I had asked that of Mata but he did not follow the instructions.”

United have shown lackluster performances in the recent matches, leading to their elimination from Champions League and a drop in position in the premier league.

The team is ranked 5th in the league with 33 points in 20 matches, nine points behind league leaders Arsenal.

By @benjaminwafula