Bastian Schweinsteiger has many happy memories of playing Wolfsburg. Tuesday night was not one of them.
The German midfielder did not have the finest of games since his summer transfer to Manchester United and was withdrawn for Michael Carrick with 20 minutes to play of last night’s 3-2 defeat.
Louis van Gaal backed down from few questions as he tried to explain his way out of a chastening Champions League exit but he did not spare the former Bayern Munich captain.
The United coach commented, “I have changed him and I don’t change players for nothing, then I think that I can do it with other players better.
“But we are all human beings and also Bastian Schweinsteiger is a human being and he wants to play at the highest level and certainly in Germany to show his qualities, but I cannot say that he was the Schweinsteiger from my period in Munich today.”
The 31-year-old has copped flak, during his opening months at Old Trafford, for his sideways and backwards passing.
In the past few weeks, however, he has noticeably tried to force the issue in attack. His shot forced a Troy Deeney own goal in the last minute of a 2-1 win over Watford and his header earned a point away to Leicester.
Still, Schweinsteiger appears to be struggling to adapt to teammates with ponderous movement and an unwillingness to run in behind defences. He was often caught in possession or played loose passes against a determined Wolfsburg side.
With Morgan Schneiderlin injured, however, van Gaal will need Schweinsteiger at his best for the away trip to Bournemouth.
