COMMENT: It had nothing to do with the fixtures, Louis van Gaal. It had nothing to do with the "ridiculous" Christmas traditions of English football, as you claim.
That your Manchester United faded in the second-half at Tottenham on Sunday was on you. It was your decision to throw on three defenders after the break - in contrast to Mauricio Pochettino's attacking substitutions. The Argentine forced you to react, to scramble, and you decided to hold on.
And while you were moaning about the Christmas schedule, the very same schedule which generations of footballers have taken on to make the English game the best in world, one of your own was contradicting you, Louis.
Your defender, Phil Jones, explained "it's the same for every club", which is obviously correct - sort of.
Because, y'see Louis, Tottenham's players are alive in three competitions. Unlike your lot, Spurs have been bouncing around the continent this season in the Europa League. Also unlike you, Pochettino has led his team to the semifinals of the Capital One Cup. You chose to play the kids and were humiliated at MK Dons.
So if there was one team at White Hart Lane that should be complaining about fatigue and workload - it isn't your United.
And if you genuinely feel your players cannot cope with this 'horrendous' schedule, then, again, that's on you. Pochettino drove his players hard in preseason and has continued to do so through the campaign - even with their extra commitments when compared with yours, Louis.
That's why they're saving and winning games late on this season. The Spurs players are simply stronger than yours, Louis.
Which is why the Premier League is the best in the world. It's not about tippy-tappy football and barely getting out of second gear to win games against the bottom half of the table. Yeah, it's about skill. But it's also about courage, stamina and bottle. It's not just about outperforming - but also outlasting.
That Harry Kane finished the game full of running - having played all of 85 minutes on Friday at Leicester City - is a credit to Pochettino and his staff.
If Kane and Christian Eriksen can finish so strongly as your lot fade, that has nothing to do with the schedule, Louis. That's on you.
