Mike Phelan, Alex Ferguson’s former assistant coach at Manchester United, has blamed United’s current injury crisis on current coach Louis van Gaal. “What’shappened is a continuation of the same players getting injured all the time, so you have to look to the reasons why,” Phelan, now a coach at Norwich City, told the International BusinessTimes. “I think Manchester United changed their thoughts on the fitness regime, they looked at it a little bit differently.”
The Red Devils have suffered over 40 separateinjuries since the start of the season, with defender Chris Smalling the latest to suffer an injury during Monday’s 2-1 win at Southampton. Following van Gaal’s appointment, Josvan Dijk – the Dutchman’s long-standing fitness specialist – took charge of first-team matters, moving former fitness coach Tony Strudwick upstairs as Head of AthleticDevelopment. Phelan suggested that the move could have led to the spate of injuries at Old Trafford.
“[Strudwick] understood the ins and outs of how to keep players fit, how to keep themready for competition. Then suddenly they moved him sideways and did something completely different. That may have had an effect.” He added: “The intensity of training may be one thing -it may be too intense, or not intense enough – but obviously slight changes have been made with the present way of doing things. … [United] seem to get one back and lose another two [to injury].
United has since declined to comment on Phelan’s remarks.