10 Reasons Why It's All Going Wrong For Louis Van Gaal At Man Utd

6. Bad Luck

Not all of Manchester United's problems are of their own making. Louis van Gaal's men have been the victims of bad luck already this season. We've discussed the backlog of injuries undermining their campaign, while, yesterday, United threw everything but the kitchen sink at Sunderland in their pursuit of a winning goal, only to be denied by stubborn defending and the referee. United should have had not one but TWO penalties after half time when first Robin van Persie and then Ashley Young were clearly upended in the penalty area. Yet despite replays showing former Red Devil Wes Brown make contact with Young, the winger was instead booked for simulation. And this is an example of his reputation going before him. Sunday marked the third such occasion of his career that Young has been booked for an apparent dive, following similar incidents against Tottenham Hotspur (above) and Crystal Palace. But this time he actually had a case, only for referee Martin Atkinson to wave away the appeals. Had Young not been dogged by diving claims in the past, the Reds may well have had a penalty and an opportunity to make it 2-1 on Sunday, but it wasn't to be.