Ferdinand: Van Gaal's 'unwavering belief in his methods' was his downfall

Rio Ferdinand has first-hand experience enjoying a successful career at Manchester United, and he isn't shy about offering his opinions as to why Louis van Gaal was unable to find similar satisfaction during his time at Old Trafford.

With the Dutch manager expected to be relieved of his duties imminently, Ferdinand, the standout defender who made 455 appearances for the Red Devils and won six Premier League titles over a 12-year spell, posted the following message on his Facebook wall to detail his feelings about Van Gaal's tenure, and why it went south.

"His unwavering belief in his methods is something to respect in many ways but it was also part of his undoing too," Ferdinand wrote.

"Success (winning the league or CL) is what Manchester United demands & added to that an attacking, quick, aggressive & imaginative style of football.

"Unfortunately LVG failed to bring either of those elements to the club.

"He is (a) huge personality who won an FA cup, keeping up his habit of winning trophies everywhere he has been but his ‪#‎MUFC‬ legacy will be the introduction of the players from the academy like Rashford, Lingard, Fosu-Mensah etc which WAS in keeping with the history of the club - giving kids an opportunity to play."

It's hard to argue with him.

The slow and meandering style implemented under Van Gaal was a drastic shift from the halcyon days of Sir Alex Ferguson, though his ability to introduce young players into the fold could serve the club well down the line.