It would be pertinent to say that if Louis van Gaal would have been at any top European club other than Manchester United, he would have been sacked at least five times by now. It is a huge testament of the club’s philosophy of keeping faith in their manager regardless of what others believe.
And although David Moyes would have something to say on this, but it would be fair to assume that despite the Dutchman having an even worse record this season than Moyes’ maiden campaign, he has still managed to be at the helm at Old Trafford just because of his previous achievements and name in football.
Having said that, however, Van Gaal is still running out of time and if United fail to secure the fourth spot in the league this season, it would be highly preposterous to see United’s hierarchy still sticking to him next season.
Regardless of their standings, United will certainly have to make a decision on their managerial position come the end of the season, and currently there seem to be only three viable options – carrying on with Van Gaal, giving Ryan Giggs an opportunity to further serve his boyhood club or bringing in the ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho.
The time is just about right to analyze the options above that will certainly have a huge impact on how the club moves forward in the years ahead.
Carrying on with Louis van Gaal
Unless the Dutchman wins the FA cup and secures a Champions League place, this option seems highly improbable. And rightly so, because that’s the least you can expect from a manager when you have spent more than 250 million pounds in the market over the course of two seasons.
Although one can come to his rescue by pointing to the fact that his tenure at United has majorly being plagued with injuries to key players, but that still doesn’t justify the team’s abysmal performances this season.
The team’s display under him has been mundane, lacks definitive purpose and some of his methods are archaic and obsolete. The players, too, don’t seem to be motivated enough by him to put forth a performance that is least expected from a United player.
Moreover, his spending of more than quarter-of-a-billion pounds is not justified by the quality on show in the field. The way he handled big name players like Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao was disappointing too. More so now after looking at how the Argentine has gone on and performed with PSG.
The only positive that comes with him is the faith he shows in the young players that leads to their rapid development. Would he have given the young players so many chances this season had his senior players not been sidelined with injuries is a question worth asking, but let's not take away the credit from him for giving United some of their future superstars.
Overall, it would be surprising to see the Dutchman given the chance to run down his initial three-year contract. More so because he is anyways not a long term prospect considering that he had already accepted he won’t go beyond his current contract. With Chelsea and Manchester City already set to start afresh next season, United too need a change and hence, the time is just about right for Van Gaal to call it a day at the end of the season.
Giving Ryan Giggs another opportunity
The first thing that comes with Ryan Giggs is longevity. Something that United truly needs and believes. Another inevitable byproduct of the Welshman’s appointment would be the respect he’ll automatically receive from the players, especially the younger ones, for what he has achieved with the club already.
In other words, when he’ll have something to say, the players will listen and religiously follow. Moreover, Giggs knows the club inside out. He knows the club’s legacy, its ethos, its folklore and no to mention the fans’ expectations. He will certainly play the United way of fast attacking football, will give young players ample opportunities to flourish and will never shy away in letting someone know what it means to play for Manchester United.
With him at the helm, United can be rest assured that they will get someone who will give his absolutely everything just like he did while he was on the other side of the touchline.
But even with all of the above, the biggest hurdle that lies ahead of the United legend is his zero experience at managing a football club, let alone a club as big as Manchester United. The Welshman’s lack of experience was quite evident when he was asked to take over as interim manager at United following David Moyes’ sacking in 2014.
Out of the four matches he was in charge, Giggs managed to win only two and even lost one game at struggling Sunderland. After his final match in charge at Old Trafford, a 1–1 draw with Southampton, Giggs admitted to breaking down in tears, in part due to the pressure of managing United, and also said he had struggled to sleep during the period.
Some would say that United should take a leaf out of Barcelona’s book and should give an opportunity to Giggs just as the Catalans did with Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. But with all due credit to the two Spanish stalwarts and their achievements with Barcelona, coaching a side that boasts the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and now Luis Suarez and Neymar is a cakewalk when compared to the challenge that lies ahead for Giggs in building a team from scratch.
Still, it would be right to say that giving Giggs a chance is a risk worth taking. But only when the decision comes from the man himself rather than the board. If he thinks he is ready and confident in his abilities to take over the reigns at his beloved club, then he truly deserves that throne ahead of anyone else.
Bringing in the ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho
Looking at United’s current state of affairs and their seismic fall from the top ever since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, bringing in Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford looks to be the best and safest bet for looking forward to the glory days again. Because let's just accept this, the ‘special one’ is synonymous with success.
You just have to look at his record wherever he has managed and all you can see is an instant recipe of unprecedented glory. The biggest problem the current United team faces is that they have lost their winning mentality, which can only be restored by someone who is a born winner and is ready to give everything to win. Mourinho is the man.
The die hard United faithful and the board might be against this idea because of the negative criticism that the Portuguese brings with himself that may lead to tarnishing of the club’s image. Not to mention the lack of free flowing football and limited or almost no opportunities to young players that Mourinho’s teams are renowned for. But ask any of the Chelsea or the Inter fans – does that really matter?
Of course in the long term, it does. But right now, United’s present is shambolic and if they move in the same direction, the future seems dark too. What they need is a quick fix. The rest will follow.
Mourinho certainly does possess the required charisma and the repertoire of skills and knowledge to lead a club of the stature of Manchester United. He has the innate ability to bring the best out of his players and his man management qualities are second to none.
Any top player in the world would love to work with the Portuguese, something that cannot be said with either Ryan Giggs or Van Gaal. What he doesn’t possess, though, or rather hasn’t shown yet is the consistency of maintaining his winning streak at a club. Or in other words, the art of rebuilding teams over the years at one club and still maintain a high level of performance.
Mourinho needs to attain this in order to be truly considered in the list of the all-time greats. And United can be his perfect tryst with destiny where he can finally be at home after years of wandering. Both of them need each other at this moment in time and their communion would be mutually beneficial.
Summary
Manchester United need to set their priorities before they decide whom to pass on their throne. They need to ask themselves what they want. If they are looking for long term success, then they must remain patient and forget about winning championships and be content with either finishing in the Champions League places or winning the FA Cup or sometimes not even that.
For this, they should allow Van Gaal to run down his contract and then appoint Giggs as his successor. However, will that guarantee a long-term success is still highly debatable. The example of Liverpool is for everyone to see.
United has attained a stature in world football that they receive so much of media attention, the need for sponsorship deals, the inflow of money, the fans’ expectations that they are almost compelled to win something every season. And this very fact makes the idea of the club to remain patient almost futile.
On the other hand, if United want to regain their lost identity and get back to the pinnacle of European football as soon as possible, they must appoint Jose Mourinho as their manager next season. But with him, they should be ready to accept the negative criticism of the club and forget about club’s ethos and legacy and begin a new era altogether.
It is now up to United to decide which risk is worth taking.
