Since taking the reigns at Old Trafford after a frankly disappointing season under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal has had his ups and downs. After a spectacular pre-season, it all seemed dreamy heading into the new Premier League season, yet the Dutchman had a tough start to the campaign. His side faced Swansea on the first day of the season, yet couldn’t produce the goods and lost the game 2-1.
The week after, United drew 1-1 away at Sunderland, then crashed out of the League Cup after embarrassingly being pummeled 4-0 by MK Dons. Despite this quite dreadful start, United picked up excellent results away at Arsenal (1-2) and at home to arch rivals Liverpool (3-0). Sitting third in the table heading into Christmas and having players such as Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao in the side, it’s safe to say the Old Trafford Faithful have warmed to Louis van Gaal. Throughout this article, we’ll look at what van Gaal should be aiming for, and how to get the very best out of his squad.
What can van Gaal aim for?
Well, a push for the league title this year would certainly be ambitious, but a top four finish would be a significant contrast to the seventh-placed climax last year that the United fans still wince at. Next year is certainly the time to push for United’s 21st Premier League title, and many believe that van Gaal will win the award in his time as United boss.
However, he’ll still need to strengthen; especially in defence. So far this season, defending hasn’t come naturally to Manchester United and a plethora of defensive errors have occurred throughout the campaign. But, United have funds, and lots of them. If van Gaal wishes so, then bringing in a CB would be something that the Dutchman should consider. Options such as Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid) and Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) are often mentioned in the same sentence as the Red Devils, and a fee could be agreed between clubs as early as next month.
A defensively solid Manchester United side would be much more daunting than the current squad, as teams feel confident in breaking the current defence down. It’s easy to speculate in terms of bringing players in, but van Gaal still has things to consider about his current squad.
What should van Gaal do with his current squad?
Should United buy Radamel Falcao permanently? This question is difficult to answer at the moment, as the Colombian has only just completed his first full 90 minutes of a game in United’s away draw to Aston Villa last weekend after completing his season long loan move from AS Monaco.
Saying this however, he did score a perfectly executed header and has scored in his last two starts under van Gaal. If Falcao keeps up this kind of form and stays relatively injury costless, then there’s no reason why a deal shouldn’t be agreed. But what about the younger players? Two key names that spring to mind are Adnan Januzaj and James Wilson. Here are a couple of van Gaal’s options:
- Loan out Adnan Januzaj.
The Belgian has been given few chances to demonstrate his talent this season, but hasn’t really impressed when selected for the squad. There are many teams that the youngster could be loaned out to, including David Moyes’ new side, Real Sociedad. Januzaj was one of the few positives in a fairly bleak season under Moyes and a reunion with his ex-manager could really prove to be effective.
Not only would Januzaj get valuable playing time over in Spain, he’d be with a coach that knows how to really exploit the winger’s sheer talent. It’s obvious that Adnan Januzaj has unreal potential, so a move like this could really speed up the growth process. As the 19-year-old hasn’t been involved in van Gaal’s squad, then a loan move could be agreed as early as January.
Since the player has been mentioned to be looking for a loan deal, various Premier League clubs have said to be interested. These include Everton and Hull City, in which the youngster would receive valuable experience in the league that his current club plays in. This would be the most influential decision on the player, as he gets game time and adjusts to the high physical demand of the Premier League.
- Play both players.
It would be unlikely that both of these youngsters would be loaned out, as they can be very effective due to their pace. Besides a few exceptions, United don’t really have pace in attack. However, Wilson and Januzaj both have plenty of pace and plenty of flair. When Wilson made his Premier League debut under interim manager Ryan Giggs, he scored two goals, which perhaps implies that the Englishman can cope with the naturally high intensity of the league. Playing both players in United’s league games would give them more valuable experience than if they were sent out on loan, as it would be clear to them what is expected of them in a Red shirt.
How will Louis van Gaal’s experience benefit him?
The Dutchman has won basically everything, and managed many of the world’s best clubs with incredible success. He marched his Netherlands squad to the World Cup semi-finals in the summer, where they eventually finished in an impressive 3rd place. He rolled his Ajax side into three consecutive title victories, and in 1995, captured Ajax’s 4th Champions League title. The year later, his side finished runners-up in the same competition, losing out to Juventus on penalties.
So, he’s won the Champions League, which is arguably the biggest trophy in club football, but what else does he have penned on his CV? Well, he also won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2010, where he promoted players such as Thomas Muller to the starting line-up. Louis van Gaal also has several individual awards that are worth a mention, such as the World Soccer Manager of the Year Award in 1995, or the Dutch Sports Coach of the Year Award which he captured in 1995 and 2014.
So, why is this relevant for Manchester United? The answer is fairly straightforward. United need a winning mentality to progress and succeed, and Louis van Gaal is one of the best at his trade for injecting such mentality into disheartened players. His ability to keep a squad moving forward at the highest level, and his insistency to play ‘the perfect game’ makes me certain that the boss will succeed at Old Trafford.
The January Transfer Window
January is not typically a time for drastic signings, it’s usually utilised to strengthen a squad or fill a gap that’s been left due to an injury. However, with United’s recent revenue successes, a big signing could be brought to Old Trafford next month. As mentioned before, this could well be a centre-back as the defence has lacked quality throughout the season so far.
Other names that have also been mentioned are Kevin Strootman and Gareth Bale. The Bale rumours lack substance, but the United boss is neither confirming or denying whether the reported £150m bid will be, or has been submitted. Even if the player was on van Gaal’s radar, it would be likely that he would be brought in in the summer, rather than January. Despite this, Strootman is a realistic target and a £32m deal may be done next month.
The Dutchman is currently a part of AS Roma’s squad, and has highly impressed the world of football over the past few years. Although a central-midfielder isn’t exactly what United lack, a name like Strootman would increase the overall capabilities of the squad, and add much needed depth as injuries have flowed thick and fast throughout van Gaal’s time in charge.
What can Louis van Gaal achieve at Manchester United?
To tie things up, we’ll take a look at what this writer believes United can achieve under Louis van Gaal. Taking a look at his previous achievements, and the players and funds that he has at his disposal, the capabilities of his squad are endless. He’s got the experience, he’s got the winning mentality, and he’s got the ability to completely change a squad to play ‘the perfect game’.
This is something he’s discussed in previous press conferences, and claims that he’s seen it only twice as United boss (the games - Hull City and Queens Park Rangers). With the board’s full confidence and backing, van Gaal can rebuild and rework his squad over the next two years until we see the perfect game be played week-in, week-out at Old Trafford.
He has everything set up for him to succeed, and while he sits 3rd in the table over Christmas, it’s hard to predict where he’ll take his squad next. His record as a manager suggests that he knows how to win, and he knows how to win every type of game. But there are just two final questions left to answer: Will he achieve success this year at Manchester United? Maybe. Will he achieve success in the next three years at Manchester United? Definitely. When left costless to roam with this much power, Louis van Gaal can win anything.
