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28th Nov 2015

James Wilson loan drives further wedge between Ryan Giggs and Louis van Gaal

Unrest

Patrick McCarry

Cue more pictures of the coaching duo looking uncomfortable on the Manchester United bench.

It struck just about every football fan as odd that teenage striker James Wilson was loaned out to Brighton & Hove Albion for the rest of the season.

Louis van Gaal took the decision to send away his senior squad’s third last striker despite recent injury and illness to Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial.

Wilson is now with the Championship side for the next six months and the manager’s call has, according to The Times, left assistant coach Ryan Giggs “frustrated”.

It was Giggs who gave Wilson his debut, at the tail-end of 2013/14, when the Welshman was in the caretaker role. The young forward scored two goals on his senior team bow.

wilson hull

Since Van Gaal arrived at United, Wilson has made only five starts, and only two of those have come in the league.

News of Giggs’ disappointment at the loan deal comes on the back of midweek complaints, from an unnamed United player, that the club’s current style of play is holding many back.

On Friday, Van Gaal was forced to defend his decision to loan out the 19-year-old.

The manager told reporters, “I have not always chosen him in the selection and I think for him it’s better to play at his age than sit on the bench or play in the second squad.

“In the short term, maybe it’s not so good for Manchester United, but in the long term it’s better. It is part of the development of a player.

“I can imagine that fans are thinking that is ridiculous they have difficulties to score, but that is a short term thought.”