This Wednesday, Manchester United play LA Galaxy for the Chevrolet Cup in what will be the first outing for new manager Louis van Gaal. Although a preseason friendly is no place to judge the Dutchman’s new regime, his body of work to-date is enough to suggest that King Louis is the man to restore Old Trafford to its former majesty.
Arrogance and Authoritarianism
The18 never likes to be crass, but van Gaal has cojones (just ask Luca Toni). He has the arrogance, self-confidence and ruthlessness to make big decisions, take on United’s plethora of egos and not be cowed by the spectre of Ferguson. In fact, he’s Fergie Redux, and that’s a very good thing.
Consider the following two pieces of anecdotal evidence: when asked what his reaction was to being named Manchester United manager, David Moyes replied,“the blood drained from my face.” When named Ajax manager at the tender age of 39, Louis van Gaal congratulated the Board for having “appointed the best manager in the world.” There, in a nutshell, is the difference between Moyes and van Gaal, and why the latter is far more likely to deliver the levels of success expected by a club like United.
Rejuvenating Robin
One person with whom van Gaal's presence will have an immediate impact is Robin van Persie. The Dutchman is a fabulous footballer, with an alchemist’s touch and a left foot so cultured it can recite La Traviata backwards. But, when the mood doesn’t take him, he has a habit of retreating to the physio’s table for unworldly lengths of time.
One of Ferguson’s finest managerial feats was coaxing a full season’s productivity out of van Persie in 2012-13, and he was rewarded with 23 goals that went a long way to securing United’s 20th league title. Van Persie didn’t fancy Moyes: that much is clear. So United fans should have rejoiced at the sight of the Dutchman sprinting fifty yards in the Brazilian heat to high-five van Gaal following his diving header against Spain. If Big Louis can get van Persie consistently firing on all cylinders, United will be there (or there abouts) come the end of the season.
Out With the Old, In With the Youth
Few would quibble the contention that David Moyes inherited a United squad containing more mediocrity than a Britney Spears karaoke compilation. There should have been a day of reckoning after Fergie's retirement, but Moyes was never the man to deliver it. Van Gaal, however, has long had a reputation for ruthlessly shipping out players who either didn't buy into his philosophy or simply weren't good enough, and The18 suspects a good few of the existing squad will fall into one of those categories.
Bolstering central midfield - long ignored by Ferguson - will be a priority. So too will finding replacements for the departed Ferdinand and Vidic. It will be interesting to see whether van Gaal relies on the transfer market or United’s Academy system to fill the gaps. After all, this is the man who handed first team debuts to Clarence Seedorf (at the age of 16), Xavi and Andres Iniesta (both 18) while at Ajax and Barcelona. Whether that calibre of player exists within United's youth set-up is another question entirely.
A Man With a Plan
David Moyes wasn’t just sacked because of results; he was sacked because nobody knew what his United would look like if given another season. Beyond trying to stymie opponents, Moyes had no long-term vision as to how he wanted United to play.
Van Gaal arrives at Old Trafford with an established philosophy clearly developed in his mind. His is a pragmatist’s interpretation of Total Football, where the collective always outweighs the individual and each player must be flexible enough to cover for others’ weaknesses. While we don’t yet know what his preferred starting XI will be, it will certainly be one instructed to break at speed when in possession, never giving the opposition time on the ball when without it.
Leaving a Legacy
Manchester United used to claim they were different from other teams: "we aren't a sacking club" was the oft-touted mantra. The truth is they were simply fortunate to have one of the greatest people managers to ever grace the game. Of course you're not a sacking club: who sacks Sir Alex Ferguson?
Van Gaal isn't a long-term replacement for Ferguson for two reasons. First, he's 62 and has widely stated this will be his last job in football. Second, he has the temperament of a Honey Badger, and it usually takes little more than 24 months before he has a major blowout with his superiors.
But that doesn't mean Van Gaal can't help to set in train a plan for the longer-term. After all, he played a significant role in the development of both Pep Guardiola's and Jose Mourinho's coaching careers, and the Old Trafford suits were insistent the Dutchman take Ryan Giggs as his Assistant Manager. Clearly they have at least one eye on life beyond Louis.
