Reports have suggested the United players are unhappy with the manager’s methods but the veteran coach played down thoughts he was a controlling manager

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has insisted that he is not a dictator and revealed that he has changed his methods to adapt to the needs of the Old Trafford squad. 

It had been reported that senior players, including Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, had appealed to Van Gaal to change some of his methods around the training ground, but the United boss has suggested that he has regular communication with players. 

“Believe me, it is like that. I am not a dictator, I am a communicator,” the Dutch boss said.

“All the players are communicating with me. They are coming to my office.”

Van Gaal did admit that Rooney and Carrick had spoken to him regarding dressing room morale, and the 64-year-old confessed that it had been “alarming”. 

“It’s a positive thing that the players are coming to me and not only Carrick or Rooney, other players,” Van Gaal added. 

“It was Carrick and Rooney [who approached him] and that was alarming for me because they are the captains.”

But the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona manager revealed he had adapted to fit the needs of the United players.

“I have changed the way that I [draw up] the game plan to them,” he explained to a media conference.

“Now I ask in advance and they can say what they want. Most of the strategy is always the same because they like the way we have done.”