adminManchester United manager Louis van Gaal was the talk of social media in Britain yesterday after an eccentric turn at the club’s end-of-season awards ceremony at Old Trafford.
The 63-year-old Dutchman clipped assistant manager Ryan Giggs around the ear after the Welshman outbid him for a round of golf with former United striker Dwight Yorke during an auction at the event on Tuesday.
He then took to the stage to deliver a rambling seven-minute speech, at one point punching the air and roaring “Yes!” as he recalled a team meeting at which captain Wayne Rooney had urged the team to push for second place in the Premier League.
Van Gaal also said that United had been “very close” to winning the title, despite the fact they currently trail champions Chelsea by 15 points.
After concluding his speech, which was broadcast live on United’s in-house television channel MUTV, Van Gaal returned to the stage and interrupted the presenter by saying: “Hello, hello! Pay attention to the manager!”
He went on to chastise the crowd for not applauding a female saxophonist, saying: “I’ve seen a lady who plays the saxophone fantastically. Give her a big applause!”
Former United captain Gary Neville tweeted: “LVG is cracking me up here. Great entertainment! One of the best/funniest 20 mins I’ve ever had!”
United goalkeeper David de Gea, who has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, won both the Players’ Player and Fans’ Player of the Year awards for the second season running.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling has been named as the club’s Young Player of the Year, but was booed by a small number of fans as he collected his award.
The 20-year-old forward received the accolade 24 hours after it emerged that he will ask to leave to club.
But while some fans jeered, others shouted: “Stay, Raheem.”
The England international is expected to tell manager Brendan Rodgers and chief executive Ian Ayre on Friday that he wants to leave Anfield this summer.
Speaking at the event, Rodgers said it had been a “difficult, trying season”.
Liverpool will finish outside the top four in the Premier League and therefore miss out on a place in next season’s Champions League, while Rodgers is first Reds boss to fail to win a trophy in his first three seasons since the 1950s.- BBC.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter