Manchester United: Boring and Awful

In the mercurial world of football fates, it seems like Louis van Gaal is writing his own exit story these days.

Manchester United desperately needed a victory to qualify for Champions League bracket play but got just the opposite in a 3-2 loss to Wolfsburg.

Van Gaal has altered the aura of the Red Devils and it's ill-advised. Attacking football turned defensive and talent turned boring after his philosophical 'enlightenment' at Old Trafford.

Wolfsburg couldn't have asked for a better opposition to hand them the top spot.

Anthony Martial gave United the best start they could've hoped for:

A true savior for the Red Devils.

But Naldo's perfect response three minutes later presented a harsh reality check for the Mancunians:

Why the Red Devils perpetually bungle their defense in set pieces is a mystery for the ages.

Then, only 16 minutes later, Volkswagen's Team tic-tac-toed through United's best-laid plans to take the lead on Vieirinha's finish:

A master stroke, indeed.

United are the comeback kings, though, and they kept their rep alive, if only for the moment and with a little help from their enemies:

However, as they showed after conceding in the first half, Die Wölfe was undeterred and made amends almost instantaneously. And it was Naldo again who sealed the deal:

With United tumbling out of Europe this early, is a sacking on the way at Old Trafford?

The rumblings are rising.