Depay, Hernandez, van Gaal, transfers. Four words searched time and time again on Google in the past 7 days or so. Yet who really knows what's true and what's not?

To find out, Harry Robinson spoke exclusively to the award-winning journalist who broke the news of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and the sacking of David Moyes - Mark Ogden.


By hook or by crook, United's form has begun to improve rapidly with 12 points from 15 possible against Spurs, Liverpool, Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea. How do you think van Gaal has turned it around so significantly?
I think there was an element of Van Gaal benefiting from circumstances beyond his control -- namely the injury Luke Shaw and Angel di Maria’s suspension.
They led to Daley Blind moving to left-back and Ashley Young’s resurgence, with Michael Carrick running the midfield with more ambition than Blind.
Combined with the players clicking against Spurs, I think the Shaw/Di Maria issues were big factors.

The papers have spoken about Wayne Rooney's pre-match speeches as well as his team-mates. How much of an impact do you think he's had in this change of form?
Beyond underlining how much Rooney cares about being captain and the role he must perform, I don’t think it has been a major factor in the team’s form.


How can you see the summer panning out, will we see Woodward splash the cash once more and have specific targets already been set?
I’d expect 4-5 new faces. Good, top quality players. I expect moves to be made for Mats Hummels and Memphis Depay, there is also strong interest in Ilkay Gundogan and Nathaniel Clyne.
I suspect United may also end up looking for a new goalkeeper, with David de Gea still resisting a new deal.


Is the offloading of players going to continue this summer from van Gaal and will the big name players out on loan return?
I think there will be more change this summer. Javier Hernandez and Tom Cleverley won’t play for United again, while Nani will also be allowed to leave, if United can find somebody to pay his wages..

There have been flops in Falcao and Di Maria but revelations in Fellaini and Young, what have you made of van Gaal's time at United overall?
I think he and the club will look back on this season as a long, but valuable, learning process.
Van Gaal now knows more about his players and the club, but also opponents and their strengths and weaknesses.
He strikes me as somebody who doesn’t repeat his mistakes, so I’d imagine all of this season’s lessons will help lead to a title challenge next season.

Van Gaal says this will be his last job and at maximum he'll be at United for 5 years, could it be Giggs to replace him and what is their relationship like?
The successor question all depends on the success of this regime. If United fail during Van Gaal’s spell in charge, then it won’t help Giggs’s prospects.
It really is too early to identify the next manager because so much can happen, but on a personal level, Giggs and Van Gaal get on well.I think Giggs will always view the game from a more attacking mindset than Van Gaal, but the manager’s tactical nous and refusal to budge on his philosophy is something all top coaches must have.

Compliments have flown van Gaal's way since the wins began to arrive yet when the bad times were present his style of play was criticised. Do you think it's vital that people must disregard the Sir Alex Ferguson way and let van Gaal's 'philosophy' develop without obstacle?
The Ferguson era is gone, but I can remember moans and groans during each of United’s title-winning seasons from fans about the style of play. It goes with the territory.
There were some pretty grim performances, even during the 2012-13 season, when United ran away with the title.
Van Gaal will stick with his approach, but the defeat at Everton suggested he may have to add more pace and penetration to the team to avoid United becoming like Arsenal and dominating games for little or no reward.

Your newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, released a list of the 35 most promising players in England. No United players featured. United didn't play in the U21s Premier League Cup Final or the FA Youth Cup Final on Monday. Has the the number of quality players coming through United's system decreased recently or is it just a blip?
There has been a bit of a drought recently, the numbers prove that. But with Brian McClair leaving his role at the Academy, the club is looking to appoint a director who will shape the club’s youth system for the next twenty years, so they know it is an area which requires attention.

In relation to United's youth system, James Wilson and Adnan Januzaj are rumoured to be leaving on loan and permanently respectively. Is there any truth and do you feel it could be a dangerous game to stop the flow of youth players like these two?
I think a loan move would help Wilson to develop, but Januzaj has gone beyond that stage.
He may just be a player who doesn’t fit in with Van Gaal’s requirements, but I think he is a talent and one United should persevere with.

Paul Pogba left United on a free transfer. Is there any truth of him returning for a staggering fee of £60 million?
United are one of a number of clubs who would like him, yes. My guess is that he will end up at Real Madrid.

Memphis Depay, future United favourite?
If United qualify for the Champions League, I think he’ll arrive at Old Trafford in the summer. But wherever he goes, he is a player who will take the Premier League by storm.

Finally, when will the Premier League return to the huge trophy cabinet at Old Trafford, and could it be accompanied by a European trophy under van Gaal?
United will challenge for the title next season, but having been in Munich for Bayern’s 6-1 demolition of Porto, I think there are several steps to take before they can hope of winning the Champions League again.
 

VAVEL thank Mark for his time, you can read another exclusive interview from Harry Robinson here, with Peter McVitie on Memphis Depay. 

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About the author
Harry Robinson
Deputy Editor-in-Chief at VAVEL UK, and Manchester United Editor.