Does Van Gaal Fit The Mould?

Yesterday we were informed of the sacking of David Moyes from Manchester United after just 10 months in the job. As well as leaving the board in a pickle over who to appoint, those pesky ITK accounts on Twitter had a field day, linking every manager from under the sun to the vacant post, one of which was Louis Van Gaal. Ladbrokes tip the Dutchman as the favourite to succeed Moyes at 8/11 but until the permanent manager is announced, United man Ryan Giggs remains as interim manager.

All these rumours whether Louis Van Gaal will be United manager or Spurs manager next season must not be aiding his preparations for the upcoming World Cup. Currently with the Dutch National side, it has been reported that he will be resigning at the end of the competition in June. Tutored under the philosophy of Total Football, surely the Dutchman will be able to restore flair and speed to United's game? 

Throughout his illustrious career, Van Gaal has remained devout to the idea of playing attractive attacking football, using a 4-3-3 formation. I am positive that his appointment will excite many of the United faithful, and it too gets me on the edge of my seat thinking about it. However, is playing 3 in the midfield a good idea? I would not want to risk playing 3 in midfield against the might of City or Chelsea, they would overpower us, particularly if the are unable to strengthen due to the Glazer's incompetence. However Liverpool showed us that beating City is possible with a 4-3-3 counter attack formation

If the Dutchman were to deploy this tactic, the 2 wide-men will need to track back and help the midfield out. Antonio Valencia would thrive under this formation due to his high defensive and offensive work rate. With this strategy, I am struggling to find out a position in the team for Rooney, Mata or Kagawa - neither of which are as effective out wide than through the middle. One of this trio could be leaving in the summer because of this. It is evident that there are both positives and negatives to this argument.

"If they're good enough, then they're old enough" is a cliché that Van Gaal places his faith in. On this sole reason alone, it gives Van Gaal a good chance of being awarded the post. At Ajax, Van Gaal was responsible for the rise of figures such as Edwin Van Der Sar, Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert. It is safe to say that the Dutchman has the evidence to suggest that the empty post at Old Trafford. Adnan Januzaj has proved that United do have fresh talent within their youth ranks, and with the correct treatment, they could be nurtured into future first team players. The U-18s sit 6th in their league while the the U-21s are 4th showing that there is potential among them.

As well as possessing some of the most prized traits in a football manager, he also has a glittering CV to add to it. Van Gaal has 7 league titles over 3 countries including Holland, Germany and Spain. He was a cog in the wheel behind a successful Ajax team of the 90s which won 2 European titles, showing that he is more than capable of competing among Europe's elite. While on paper it seems that he had an enjoyable time at the Blaugrana, the Spanish media and Barca fans never warmed to the Dutchman, and he left after just 2 seasons in charge. It was Jose Mourinho's Internazionale that prevented Van Gaal from completing a famous treble with Bayern Munich after they defeated the Germans in the Champions League Final. He can do it in 3 European countries, so why can't he do it in England?

The colourful Dutchman is known to lose his temper

While at Bayern, comparisons were made between Van Gaal and Felix Magath, who rules with an iron fist. This may be what is needed in the United dressing room as they fight to control the growing egos inside. Having read some crazy stories about the Dutch manager, it would be of no surprise to me if Louis Van Gaal is they type of person to stand in front of the mirror every morning with an approving look upon his face. Adjectives used to describe him can range from egotistical to narcissistic - two words in which I would associate with Mr. Mourinho. Van Gaal seems to be a character in the dressing room and will stand for no nonsense from the players.

Overall, Louis Van Gaal, appears to be a good shout for the next manager of Manchester United. However, the few character descriptions I have implied, could turn the tables against him, and a parallel situation as to what happened at Barcelona. At 63 years old, he will not have many more years left in him and this could be his final club, particularly if it goes well. While the board knuckle down to appoint a new manager, we have Ryan Giggs at the helm, and a solid conclusion to the season is imperative at Old Trafford.