• Premier League

'Bizarre' Van Gaal should not have taken Allardyce bait

Paul Scholes has poured scorn on Louis van Gaal for reacting to Sam Allardyce's comments that Manchester United rely on long-ball tactics, branding the Dutchman's press conference outburst "bizarre".

Scholes, the former United and England midfielder, claimed that Van Gaal should have been big enough to ignore the West Ham manager's accusations, which were made in the wake of the 1-1 draw at Upton Park on Sunday.

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Speaking to the media ahead of United's midweek clash with Burnley, Van Gaal produced a dossier of data which he insisted negated Allardyce's claims. Statistics quoted by the four-page document suggested West Ham produced a higher percentage of long balls than United during the match.

However, speaking on BT Sport's Fletch & Sav show, Scholes said the United manager should have risen above the comments because they did not come from a rival coach.

"Why would you react to a West Ham manager?" Scholes said. "It's different if it's a rival manager like Chelsea or Manchester City's, but at the end of the day you're the Manchester United manager.

"I found it all bizarre to be honest with you, as I felt Allardyce's comments were light-hearted in the first place."

Scholes went on to question Van Gaal's use of club captain Wayne Rooney in midfield rather than as a striker, as well as voicing his frustration with United's stop-start performances so far this season.

"It's not great to watch - put it that way. I've heard Van Gaal say recently that United can't take risks, but what message does that send to the fans?

"It's all about taking risks as a Manchester United player and having the balls and tenacity to go out and attack the opposition. They're [the fans] used to watching United teams that play high intensity football and score plenty of goals - and that just hasn't happened this season.

"The two centre forwards - whoever has been playing up there in different games this season - have not been good enough either.

"He [Rooney] scores goals, creates them and gives endless amounts of energy - this is Wayne Rooney - how many goals has he scored for Manchester United and England? He's wasted in midfield or on the wing, he's got to be playing upfront."

Van Gaal has also come under fire from fellow countryman Pierre van Hooijdonk, who claimed "even the biggest clowns" are laughing at the United manager's disjointed squad.

The former Netherland striker said he cannot believe how badly Van Gaal is doing at Old Trafford and that the 63-year-old's problems started in last summer's transfer window.

"I don't believe it when I look at Man United," Van Hooijdonk told Dutch website Voetbal International. "After David Moyes they had to change and LVG looked like a good solution. But apart from the results, the way they play is terrible. I don't recognize the hand of Louis van Gaal in anything.

"Even the biggest clowns are laughing about LVG. I know them, I played at [Nottingham] Forest. Men like Dave Bassett and Ron Atkinson.

"In England they are considered 'been arounds', B-movie actors, very bad ones. Men who had no idea how to make a team better and just relied on good fortune. Now even Sam Allardyce questions LVG's capabilities."

Van Hooijdonk, who played under Van Gaal for the Netherlands, famously fell out with United striker Robin van Persie, after saying the striker should be dropped from the national side for a lack of commitment.

However, this time Van Hooijdonk has taken aim at another of United's expensive forward line, claiming that Radamel Falcao would not normally have been a Van Gaal transfer target.

"It started this summer with his [Van Gaal's] transfer policy," Van Hooijdonk added. "It seems he didn't know what type of players United needed.

"Take Falcao -- not a player that LVG often uses. I think the club wanted him, based on his statistics but he was not LVG's choice. Because, especially with a striker, you must look at why and how he scores so many goals.

"What's the best system for him to play in? This is a bunch of good players, without any cohesion."

Louis van Gaal's Manchester United drew 1-1 with West Ham last Sunday © Getty Images

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