Miroslav Klose describes working under Louis van Gaal as 'tough'

Since arriving at Manchester United, Louis van Gaal hasn't hesitated to make his mark on the club.

The manager has already implemented a 3-4-3 formation with two wing-backs, ordered players to communicate in English, and demanded that United rip up two pitches at their Carrington training ground. All this gives the impression of Van Gaal as someone who likes to run things his way. 

But, perhaps due to fear of being pushed to the fringes of the squad, there's been a distinct lack of criticism from anyone regarding Van Gaal's methods, something you might expect given United's disastrous start to the season. Juan Mata even said that his direct approach to coaching is "the perfect way" to manage.

Miroslav Klose, however, has nothing to lose by speaking out. And on Wednesday, the German striker, who worked under Van Gaal during his time at Bayern Munich, said that his manager is difficult to deal with.

"It was a tough time, particularly working with Van Gaal," Klose said in conversation with Germany's Die Ziet newspaper. "I didn't feel free. It was difficult for me to fulfill his expectations.

"He was asking me to make runs I just couldn't see - I gave it all I could, but sometimes it just wasn't enough."

Klose's criticism might be justified as he notched only 12 goals in 60 matches under Van Gaal before leaving Bayern for Lazio in 2011. Compare that to his 41 goals in 101 matches at Lazio, or his 71 goals in 137 caps for Germany, and it's clear that he wasn't being properly utilized at Bayern.