Tommy Docherty has warned Louis van Gaal to find form with Manchester United or face a backlash from the club’s fans.
While United sit third in the Premier League and look certain to qualify for Champions League football this season, the Old Trafford side have been unconvincing in their performances and were heavily criticised following last week’s 3-1 win over Burnley.
Docherty, who helped United win the FA Cup in 1977 during his five year reign as United boss, has joined in with the criticism and said that Van Gaal is running out of time to impress the fans.
“Once the crowd start to get on you if you don’t give them what they want – and they’re the ones who pay your salary – they’ll start showing disillusionment with the way the team is playing,” Docherty told The Mirror.
“The fans at United have been brought up with great football – two wingers going down the touchline, raining crosses in to the strikers. That’s not happening.
“You’ve got to give the supporters what they want, and you can’t really see a lot of progress at the moment, with the money he’s already spent, let alone the money he’s set to spend this summer.
“With that, you have to guarantee success. They’ve still got a good chance of finishing in the top four and back into the Champions League, but the way they’re playing there’s no guarantee.
“If United get beat by Preston [in FA Cup fifth round on Monday], their season’s almost over. Then all they’d have to go for is the top four – and they’ve got to get into that.
“A bad season for United, with the money they’ve spent and the players they’ve got, would be finishing in the top four. They’ve got to get into the top four every year – minimum.
“If David de Gea, who has shown he’s world-class, hadn’t played the way he has this season, United would probably be in the relegation zone now. He’s been absolutely brilliant.”
