Mk Dons shocked fans with a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United. MK Dons, who play two divisions below Manchester United in the league pyramid, put United manager Louis Van Gaal on even shakier ground Tuesday, after coolly dispatching his team from the Capital One Cup.

Van Gaal has now gone three games in a row without a win in all competitions after losing to Swansea and tying Sunderland in the Premier League. United have won the Capital One Cup four times, but did not muster a shot on target until the 72nd minute. MK Dons, founded only ten years ago, were ahead in the 25th minute when Will Grigg converted after Jonny Evans of Manchester United inexplicably passed the ball to Ben Reeves, a Dons forward.

Reeves was instrumental in the next goal, with an excellent cross that Grigg chested past Red Devils goalkeeper David De Gea. Reeves would provide three assists, passing to Benik Afobe, on loan from Arsenal, for the Dons third goal. Afobe would score yet again in the 84th minute after shrugging past a few weak United challenges.

What makes this victory even more shocking is that Manchester United were by no means playing their reserves. De Gea, Evans, Anderson, Danny Welbeck, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, Shinji Kagawa, and Adnan Januzaj are all regular starters for Manchester United, and all but Januzaj started against the Dons at Stadium MK.

Sophomore Matthias Von Zeier said, “Manchester United came into the game unmotivated, and that caused defensive mistakes which led to Dons goals. Also, the midfield did not connect passes to the forwards.”

Manchester United has had a rough time since their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired after the 2012-2013 season. His replacement, former Everton manager David Moyes, was sacked in April after a poor run of form. Ryan Giggs was the caretaker until Van Gaal could take over after the World Cup. Hopes were high for Van Gaal, but after the last three games, people have begun to doubt whether he is the right manager to lead the team forward.

Von Zeier said, “He’s a great tactician, but I don’t think he can motivate a team well. It will take some time for him to get his system running smoothly, and until then, United will struggle.” However, although Von Zeier doubts Van Gaal’s man-management skills, he said, “I don’t think he should be replaced yet. His style of play will take time to implement at Manchester United, so only time will tell if he’s the right fit.” MK Dons, whose entire squad was out together for less than what Wayne Rooney earns in a fortnight, impressed Von Zeier. He said, “They proved that they can take advantage of mistakes and will be dangerous no matter who they play.” However, he believes that John Terry will end up lifting the Capital One Cup for Chelsea.