The Most Wanted Man in Europe

The news that Jurgen Klopp was resigning at the end of the season has shocked everyone and has left Dortmund fans significantly disappointed after he was backed by higher powers after a horrific start to the season.
 

The 47 year old has confirmed that he will take a year out, before pursuing on another adventure, most likely in England, due to the man himself admitting that he won't need to learn the language. It was a massive judgement call by the German manager, and he will now have the decision as to where he will venture in the next year. He has been linked to many English and European jobs in the past and these rumours will only intensify after his recent decision. Here are some sides that could be in with a chance of securing him as their future boss.
 

Napoli

When appointed in 2013, Rafa Benitez was expected to continue the improvements the Neopolitan club made under Walter Mazzari the four years previous. After the sale of Ezequiel Lavezzi in 2012 and Edinson Cavani in 2013, Benitez was expected to invest wisely and improve Napoli's fortunes in the Serie A. He brought talents such as Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon from Real Madrid and Dries Mertens from PSV for a combined total of €60m so far during his tenure as well as numerous other acquisitions. Benitez brought Coppa Italia glory last season as well as the Super Cup in August. Many have predicted that Benitez will be relieved of his duties in the summer if he does not show any improvement on last years 3rd place finish. Currently. they have been unable to topple Juventus at the top, who are running away with the league. Recent developments may have convinced the Neopolitan board to take a punt and attempt to bring Klopp to Naples.

Real Madrid
Although having delivered the long awaited La Decima to the Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti is walking a tight rope onboard the fickle Real Madrid coach. It was reported that winning the Champions League was his saving grace last season, having been disappointing in the league with finishing behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Madristas don't take kindly to a season without silverware, and while they may look at his past exploits and ignore this season, a second season will not be accepted in the Spanish capital. Currently sitting 2 points behind Barcelona in the table and through to the semi finals of the Champions League, Ancelotti is in a healthy position, but so much can happen between now and the end of the season. I'm not sure whether Klopp would want to take on the challenge of managing Real Madrid, after all, winning trophies by playing attractive football is the only way to safe guard your job. Even at that, it's no guarantee that it will be a long term post.

Arsenal

Gooners have been calling for a Wenger replacement for the past few years. Minus the barren years, Wenger has been a terrific servant to Arsenal Football Club and I am almost certain that Klopp will be high on their list of possible successors. Arsenal will definitely need to show the same faith in Klopp that the Dortmund board did during the tough spell at the beginning of the season. If things get tough, and it will, another question would be whether the fans will keep backing the German? It was no secret that the Gunners have pursued Klopp in the past, and it really would not surprise me if the board has made an informal approach for the former Mainz and Dortmund man for the end of next season.

Manchester City
Having one the league for the second time in four years last season, many expected Pellegrini and City to kick on and try achieve some European glory. This was not the case, instead, they were dumped out in the first leg by Barcelona after, in hindsight, it looked as if Pellegrini had got his tactics wrong. City lie in fourth position, disappointing by the high standards set by the board and fans. It seems as if Pellegrini has served his time in Manchester and his time could reach an abrupt end once the season concludes. While Klopp is currently available, rumour has it that Pep Guardiola is the name mentioned at the Etihad. Still at Bayern, Pep will not leave for another season at the very least. Will City take a punt with Klopp or will they wait for Guardiola? I would probably say the latter is the most likely.

Liverpool
Last, but certainly by no means least is Liverpool. While I don't think Liverpool should part with Brendan Rodgers for any reason, it is a must to be included. Klopp would fit perfectly with Liverpool, considering the youth prospects he nurtured in Dortmund. With Liverpool having a decent number of young talent progressing through their ranks and poor results in the league may convince the American owners to part with Brendan Rodgers. Klopp isn't the only one wanted by Kopites, Rafa 'the Gaffa' Benitez is also remembered in Merseyside for his tremendous work with the side in the 2000s. Currently at Napoli, he would also be welcomed back at Anfield.

I can't assume that Klopp will have any difficulties in finding his new job, with guiding Dortmund to 2 league titles and leading them to the 2013 Champions League Final. However whether he will be as successful at his new club as he was in Germany is a completely different matter. He has confirmed that he will have a 'sabbatical' before hopefully returning to management in the summer of 2016.

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.