Manchester United players 'unhappy' at Louis van Gaal tactics in Arsenal defeat

Van Gaal went for a passing game rather than playing on the counter

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Macnchester United players have been left unimpressed by Louis van Gaal's tactics for the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, according to a report.

The Dutch coach, whose side entered the game at the Emirates top of the Premier League and unbeaten at the stadium since 2011, abandoned the counter-attacking style that has served them so well against the Gunners.

According to The Times, it was suggested to Van Gaal, who has an open-door policy with his players, that he play on the counter again. Instead he selected the ageing and immobile Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger over Morgan Schneiderlin, and the United midfield was ovverrun by the speed of Arsenal, who scored three times in the opening 19 minutes.

After the defeat, Van Gaal was "very disappointed" with his players, who did not execute his game plan.

“I was surprised, amazed,” said Van Gaal. “I didn’t expect that: not performing to our game plan, not the will to win. I have not seen that. When you give a team like Arsenal so much space to play football then you know you will lose. We have prepared ourselves to play more compact and not losing our aggression. I am very disappointed.

“I don’t know why it happened,” he added. “I put the question at half-time and after the match because normally I say the things how I see them in the game.

“We have lost, and lost in a way that you cannot lose when you are top of the league. You cannot start like we started. The worst thing is that now everybody is going away now (on international duty). I can’t build up a new situation so they have the confidence to play football to win your next battle.”

It was revealed at the start of the season that Carrick and club captain Wayne Rooney had approached Van Gaal as they were concerned that the dressing room was "flat".