'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal, or simply Louis van Gaal is the new manager of Manchester United.He isbrash, outspoken and sometimes totally inappropriate. But he is also a genius.Here are 7 reasons why the former Ajax man is set to add another successful club tenure to his already glittering CV.
#1 He is a serial winner
The trick the Manchester United board missed when they appointed David Moyes as gaffer was his inability to win any trophy during his long tenure at Everton. Louis van Gaal on the other hand has been a winner everywhere he has managed over his long and already legendary career.
The numbers speak for themselves. The number of titles he has won (one Champions league title, a UEFA Cup and four league championships in Netherlands, two in Spain and one in Germany plus one Cup each in the three nations) is a testament to his winning habits.
In 2009, while at the helm of AZ Alkamaar of the Eredivisie, he led the minnows to only their second title in 101 years of existence. This achievement and his recent guidance of an average Netherlands side to the semi-final stage of the World Cup may well point to the return of United at the top of the table.
#2 His arrival is good for the youngsters
Louis van Gaal already had a sterling reputation for converting promising youngsters into world class superstars before showing up at Old Trafford.
Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Xavi and Thomas Muller are just some of the names of youngsters he has promoted at clubs he has been at over the years. This is especially exciting for Manchester United fans as there has been a spate of exciting youth talent coming through the ranks in recent years with Adnan Januzaj being the obvious standout.
In addition to this, the Red Devils have had a tradition of producing some of the best footballing talent with the class of 92 (Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and David Beckham among others) a shining example.
With the United academy consistently producing promising youngsters such as Reece James, Jesse Lingard, James Wilson and Andreas Perreira among others, it will be exciting to see an old United tradition of 'producing' stars coming back to Old Trafford.
#3 He is a tactical genius
The man known as The Czar of Alkamaar is a proven tactical genius. In the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, he abandoned the long standing 4-3-3 formation, which is considered as a default and almost compulsory design in any Oranje team and went with a different formation. It was considered tactical suicide at the time as supporters contended that the Dutchman had abandoned Netherlands’ identity at a time when the Dutch were already thought to have a very low chance of progressing through the group stage.
His 5-3-2 formation though kicked his detractors down a peg as Holland finished in a credible third place.
This is good news for the United faithful who saw their team hit brick wall after brick wall last season as Moyes and his consistently shoddy tactics undermined the player's considerable talents. This is an especially welcoming news because with the United roster bloated as it is, it will be exciting to see how van Gaal keeps everyone happy while extracting the best out of everyone in his march towards the top spot.
#4 He is a master trainer
He can be expected to make the United players better footballers. He believes in training ‘with the ball’. Louis van Gaal’s teams have always been good on the ball and easy on the eye. He also likes his teams to press high up the pitch, another fond United tradition of old.
This United team is full of such ball playing potential. For the past few seasons, the Red Devils have had one of the highest possession rates in the league with an average figure of 55% possession per match last season. This aspect of their game will only improve under van Gaal as he tries to develop the Manchester version of Total Football.
He is also renowned for spotting and honing special talents of his players. He is, after all, the manager who converted Bastian Schweinsteiger from a promising winger to a world class central midfielder during his time at Bayern Munich and David Alaba from a midfielder to one of the world’s best left backs.
Who knows what previously unknown magic he could extract from United players in the coming season?
#5 He is a European giant
The new United manager has a wealth of experience all across Europe. With acolytes such as Jose Mouriinho and Pep Guardiola topping the managerial ratings each year, the influence of van Gaal is clear to see.
He also has an encyclopaediac knowledge of players around Europe. This coupled with his plethora of contacts could bode well for United in the coming season and hopefully, for many years to come. His presence could also be a catalyst for players to miss out on the Champions League this season by joining United this term.
The acquisition of midfielder Ander Herrera from Champions League bound Athletic Bilbao may in fact be a pointer to the respect and confidence he inspires in players. His record in the Champions League is not to be scoffed at. With one victory and two finals, his experience of the European landscape would be more than handy should United qualify for next season's Champions League.
#6 Hehas a strong personality
He is not called the 'Iron Tulip' for nothing. Louis van Gaal has always loved the sound of his own voice. This has not always made players happy, as former charges Rivaldo and Luca Toni can attest. But this may not be such a bad quality to possess when in charge at a club as big as Manchester United. The dressing room is filled with big players and even bigger egos which can control managers with weak personalities.
This was evident last season as players such as Danny Welbeck and Rio Ferdinand openly disagreed or negated with David Moyes' statments in the press. There were also reports of players not fully exerting themselves in matches and in practice. This kind of situation is unimaginable under van Gaal.
As he has shown before at big clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and recently at the helm of the Netherlands at the World Cup, where he had to control such high profile players such as Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie; he can dominate and control a dressing room with ease and is not afraid to alienate even the fan favourites.
#7 He can handle the media
He is one of the most charismatic coaches in football. Read some of his quotes and you will see that the man can certainly speak his mind. When he signed for Ajax, he said: “Congratulations on signing the best coach in the world”. The van Gaal catalogue is full of some of the funniest and most self congratulatory quotes out there. But if you are this good, you can afford to brag.
He is also a master at dealing with the media. He never gives an inkling of his plans to them. In spite of this, he has always been a media sweetheart which is more than what can be said for his predecessor at United – David Moyes. The Scot was never the best at press conferences. He always came across as uninspired in front of the cameras and his reign had far too many leaks of transfer targets in the media.
Van Gaal is a complete departure from that approach. He is more in the mould of the former boss Sir Alex Ferguson. He also relishes playing mind games and it will be interesting to see him feud with someone this season.
