'They feel like they are wearing

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has come under further pressure after it emerged that senior players have complained about his methods.

The Dutch manager has been criticised by fans and pundits alike for his side's rigid playing style and lack of attacking flair.

And it appears that some of his players have lost patience too, with captain Wayne Rooney and vice-captain Michael Carrick confronting Van Gaal earlier this season.

Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, who confronted Louis van Gaal earlier this season, arrive at training

Rooney, as club captain, approached his manager to put the players' concerns about training to Van Gaal

Van Gaal has spent money brining in the likes of Memphis Depay this season, but the players are not happy

Marouane Fellaini arrives at United's Carrington training ground after the international break

Van Gaal's rigid training methods have come under question from his own players, it has emerged

The Manchester United manager is known to be very inflexible with his approach, upsetting his senior stars

Sportsmail understands some squad members feel like 'robots' under the manager's famously methodical approach and as though they are wearing 'straitjackets' when they go onto the field of play.

Stars are also struggling to adapt to the number of team meetings before and after games and the regimented structure Van Gaal has imposed on the club as a whole.

The disharmony also appears to have spread to members of the club's non-playing staff who are upset after they were told they would no longer be able to eat with players at the club's Carrington training complex and ordered to eat their lunches in a separate room.

UNITED'S LEAGUE SEASON SO FAR Tottenham (H) W 1-0 (1 shot on target) Aston Villa (A) W 1-0 (2 shots on target) Newcastle (H) D 0-0 (8 shots on target) Swansea (A) L 1-2 (4 shots on target) Advertisement

After United's opening-day win against Tottenham, when they needed a Kyle Walker own goal to get the three points and managed just one shot on target, Rooney and Carrick went to speak to their manager about his overly rigid methods.

The atmosphere at Carrington training ground is said to be tense, with senior stars thought to be concerned about their side's lack of attacking threat, and believing the manager's training methods are partly to blame.

Rooney and Carrick told Van Gaal that the players felt they had become suppressed, and that many were not enjoying their football.

Things were not helped when players were told that they would not get a single day off for three weeks in the lead-up to the Champions League qualifier against Club Bruges.

Van Gaal has a history of falling out with his players, and the atmosphere at the club has deteriorated

The Manchester United boss watches on, but his players claim they feel like they are wearing 'straitjackets'

Players are said to be unhappy with Van Gaal's methods, and are not currently enjoying their football

However, despite the approach from his captain and senior midfielder, Sportsmail understands that Van Gaal has made no attempt to change his methods.

'Nobody is allowed to take a chance,' a source said.

'They feel like they are wearing straitjackets. Everything is in zones. It's a case of "you can only go this far". The feeling is that they are being turned into robots.

'Everything is structured. The manager enjoys a laugh but they rarely see that on the training ground. It's a case of you work here and you have a laugh outside.

'He is set in his ways. Because they have worked before he is unwilling to change them.'

PARTING SHOTS - HOW LVG HAS FALLEN OUT WITH DEPARTING PLAYERS FOUR of Manchester United’s high-profile departures this summer left Old Trafford with digs at the Dutchman... Robin van Persie 'When he took over Holland he said to me: ‘You’re the No 3 striker.’ 'I thought: ‘O...K...’, but I fought and became the No 1 and his captain. But when I came back from injury at United, it wasn’t an honest battle any more. Fighting to get back in the team wasn’t given to me as an option.' Javier Hernandez 'I want to go back to feeling important and happy. I want to find happiness. Bayer Leverkusen made me feel important and loved and coming here was not a difficult decision to make. 'They made me feel wanted.' Rafael 'I know that he didn’t like me but if that’s because I’m Brazilian, I don’t know. I was going well, then Ferguson left. That change was fatal for me.' Angel di Maria 'Van Gaal has his philosophy, and that is one of the things that made me want to leave. It is difficult to adapt to Van Gaal. I had a couple of rows with him.' Advertisement

United and England captain Wayne Rooney is understood to have approached Van Gaal earlier this season

The Old Trafford boss has not adjusted his approach so far, despite complaints from his senior players

Players feel that Van Gaal's methods are too structured and they are not allowed to take any chances

The source added that members of United's off-the-field staff, previously allowed to dine with the squad in the large canteen, now have to take their food down a corridor to a separate side room.

'It was all a big family under Sir Alex,' they said.

'They all ate in the same place, from the tea lady to Wayne Rooney - but that's gone now. The hoi polloi have to pick up their lunches on a tray and go elsewhere.'

The news comes after a difficult start to the season for Van Gaal, during which his side have failed to impress on the pitch, and become embroiled in a tug of war with Real Madrid over Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea off it.

De Gea will now return to training ahead of United's game against Liverpool on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether Van Gaal will select the keeper, who he accused of not wanting to play on the opening day of the season.

Upon arrival at United, Van Gaal immediately made upgrading facilities at Carrington a priority. He installed three Desso pitches with the exact dimensions of that used at Old Trafford.

Earlier this year the club obtained planning permission for floodlights so Van Gaal could put his players through their paces at night time before night matches.

The complaints came after an opening-day win over Tottenham, where United managed just one shot on target