If a Manchester United fan was to view his Twitter feed at any point during the day there is a good chance there will be a story of Jose Mourinho in talks with the Old Trafford hierarchy or how Louis van Gaal has destroyed the club’s legacy or a very simple yet elegant #LVGOUT. Manchester United fans are not happy with the way the Dutchman sets out his team week in, week out and even if they are, the performances of the players have been less than convincing.
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And they are RIGHT. The numbers add up as United have scored a mere 43 goals in 35 matches (10 less than Chelsea), playing some of the worst football ever seen by the club’s fans.Having said that, is it really in the best interest of the club to change their second (permanent) manager in three years?
There are questions to be answered and a big decision to be made by the club. The fans are frustrated and the thought of a certain Portuguese manager at the Theatre of Dreams does seem to cheer them up, but as far as I am concerned, leaving Glazernomics aside (the Adidas deal), giving van Gaal another season would not be the worst idea the board has ever had (that honour goes to the appointment of the Chosen One).
The Fergie era is over
Let’s get one thing straight. There will never be another Sir Alex Ferguson, who will get half-a-dozen highly talented players for free again. The Old Trafford faithful have to wrap their heads around this fact and step into the post-Ferguson era.
Under Sir Alex, United usually scored over 80 goals a season with other big teams boasting of similar numbers, but this season, City are the league’s top scorers with just 68 goals. Leicester City are winning the league, the so-called “Big Four” are in shambles and truth be told in the Premier League, literally anybody can beat anybody (unless you are Aston Villa).
Even the so-called smaller teams have switched from hiring English managers to tactically effective foreign ones, with just five British managers in charge in the top division of English football. The foreign coaches have brought a different style of football to the birthplace of football and everyone is beginning to adapt.
The European style of play
If you look at the end of his career, Alex Ferguson was turning United into a team that played the European style of football, where you keep possession and not let the opponent have too much of the ball to give you any trouble. He had the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and a young Michael Carrick who were the ideal blend he needed to instill his “philosophy”.
Van Gaal has had to start the process all over again with a new set of players. Teaching a player to take less risks and pick the perfect pass in a couple of seasons is not an easy thing to do, especially with the midfielders he inherited.
In the last couple of years, Van Gaal has skimmed the fat of United’s team with the likes of Nani, Anderson, and Bebe making way for a new set of United players. Finally, he looks to have a team that he can well and truly call his own and they are beginning to gel together and play some good football.
In the last few matches against Spurs, Everton, and Leicester, the Red Devils have played some very good football for decent periods in the game and even if the results haven’t been flattering, there seems to be some form of recovery.
Even under Sir Alex, in the 2004-05 season, United scored just 58 goals. But as the team gelled together, United fans were treated to a decade of success unprecedented even in the club’s illustrious history. I am sure if this current crop stays together, they will be fighting for the league title in a year or two.
Van Gaal has changed since he first took over
It has taken van Gaal almost two years to understand the English fans. Writing on your pad is not the what the fans want to see. They want a manager who is on the sidelines either shouting at his players or harassing the fourth official. The Dutchman has changed his ways as well as he is finally seen celebrating goals and doing dramatic tumbles on the touchline to prove a point.
At most of his previous clubs, van Gaal had lost the dressing room and the players have been unhappy with his methods. That is not the case at United as the players seem to have bought his style of play and his vision for the club. Had they not, there would have been all sorts of leaks in the UK tabloids as there were at the end of David Moyes’ reign.
In the Moyes era (if you can call it that), if the team went a goal down, there was no coming back. But in the last two years, we have had a few last minute goals that resulted in either a point or all three. There has been a huge difference in the way the team reacts and that is all down to the manager.
Louis’ history
A fan who has been following European football for two decades will tell you the clubs that Van Gaal has managed have always done well after he left and there are far too many instances for it to be a coincidence. Former Barcelona and Milan striker Patrick Kluivert has said that his countryman is excellent with youngsters, but struggles with experienced players who have a different vision of the game (cue Angel di Maria). If you look at the players who have been stand-out performers this year are below the age of 20.
The number of players he has been given debuts and who have gone on to be World stars cannot be a fluke. At the Theatre of Dreams, he has already given debuts to 14 players from the academy, who some fans are calling the Class of 2016. Do we really think Jose would have given these kids a chance? If we do appoint him, are these players going to play as many games as this season or are we going to spend another £250m on other talents?
Based on the last few weeks’ performances, albeit in patches (30 minutes against Spurs and Leicester), I personally think that the club’s first European manager deserves the three years that he was promised, even though he wanted only two. If we sack him now yet another manager will reap the fruits of the seeds he sowed.
Lastly, we have made fun of Chelsea and Real Madrid for changing managers like the seasons, do we really want to join the club?
