Manchester United may have beaten Liverpool at the weekend, but that victory only papers over the cracks of deeper problems at Old Trafford. Firstly, that was one of the worst Liverpool sides you'll see for a long time. Secondly, the suggestion that many of United's players are unhappy with Louis van Gaal's rigid coaching methods is a serious problem for the manager. Unless he makes some changes, it will only end one way: with Van Gaal losing his job.

One thing players hate is to feel restricted, and United look like a team playing without freedom. They have signed flair players, but they don't play with flair. Some players are best when they’re instinctive but if you're constantly thinking - especially as a forward – ‘I can't go into that area, I can't go too deep to get the ball, I'm not allowed to do that’, creativity is immediately stifled. I can count on one hand the amount of entertaining performances I've seen from Man Utd since Van Gaal arrived. They have been winning games, but if Van Gaal's formula is making the players unhappy it will come at a cost.

Van Gaal knows it's happening, and he's managed to get rid of a few who he thinks are having a negative influence on the group. But the problem for Van Gaal is that there is only one winner in these types of situations. Ultimately, the players have the most power because they can down tools and say. 'I can't play for a manager like this’.

Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham was very similar in his methods. In a training session, if I came to receive the ball from a right-back, he would stop the session and say, "No, don't stand there to receive the ball; stand there", and he'd move me five yards. I'd be thinking, ‘I've been playing midfield my whole career and I know where I feel comfortable receiving the ball’. But the minute a manager puts those thoughts into your head, you can go onto the pitch wondering whether you’re stood in the wrong place, rather than just doing it instinctively.

A lot of players find it difficult to play under those restraints. Although many have loved working under Van Gaal, there are probably more that can't deal with it. And when you come to England as a manager, you have to be especially flexible because the English mentality is different.

When Juande Ramos was at Tottenham, I played some of my best football. I really took to his methods and regimes, but I was very much in the minority.

The food he had us on was disgusting. Everything was dry and completely flavourless. If you had pasta, you were not allowed any sauce on it whatsoever. If you wanted flavour you had to create it yourself using very meagre options - like a bit of olive oil, salt or lemon juice. That was it. If you had chicken, again it would be dry and plain.

View photos Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney are reportedly two senior players who have spoken to van Gaal over his methods. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) More

At half-time they cut out our Lucozade drinks - we weren't allowed those anymore because it wasn't 'natural'. Instead Ramos had a fitness coach, a guy called Marcos, who would concoct his own 'juice'. At half-time he'd give you a little cup of it as you walked into the changing room. It was a cold mixture of potatoes, water and pasta - blended to a pulp. It looked like wallpaper paste - same colour, same consistency - the lot. It was absolutely disgusting.

The players thought it was a joke. Ledley King and I told Ramos this but he'd say, "This is all natural foods, it's good for you - you have to eat it."

Story continues