Louis van Gaal: The Right One?

Louis van Gaal: Taking over the reigns at Old Trafford

After two and a half decades of unprecedented dominance, Manchester United find themselves at the receiving end of the brutality they were once known for inflicting. Having been paralyzed by pitiful players, atrocious administration and a mediocre management, they stand broken, bereft of European football after 19 years.

Realizing the extent of problems they face, the club decided to bring in a sizeable appointment that lives up to the challenge. Louis van Gaal was recently announced as the next Manchester United manager. 27 days after David Moyes’ sacking, the flamboyant Dutchman was elected unanimously to take charge of the ‘world’s biggest club’.

Having managed clubs like FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he presented the 20-time English champions with a CV they couldn’t resist. But is the CV all that Louis van Gaal brings to the table? Nope, there's more to him.

Van Gaal’s appointment does not only bring the much clichéd ‘top level experience’, but also gives United a personality that can help them witness an overhaul in terms of squad and style of play that they have been missing for so long.

What makes him a fitting piece in United’s jigsaw is his affinity towards young players. The Dutchman has been renowned across the world for the players he has developed in his managerial tenures. To name a few; Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Edwin van der Sar, David Alaba, Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller leaped onto the world stage under his management.

With the extremely adroit youngsters that Manchester United academy have produced in the past under Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, United fans have every right to be excited about Van Gaal’s appointment. And with a certain Adnan Januzaj knocking the doors of footballing stardom, the move happens at the right time for both parties.

But then, his job at United is to not simply resurrect the club’s futile footballing state, but to also reinstate the pride that was once considered taken for granted under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Dutchman has a certain degree of swagger that United fans used to love in Fergie and this swagger is exactly what makes Manchester United move.

When David Moyes arrived at United, he was quite clearly blown away by the size of the club. It’s not that he did not have the pedigree for the job, but he could not impose his authority over the one that already existed. His drive took a toll and with every press conference that passed by, the once mister glib talker, fell into the media trap.

And to further complicate his situation, he started falling out with the players that the Old Trafford faithful loved. More often than not, he would resemble a sorry figure on the touchline that lost most of his battles much before they actually began.

Van Gaal is not that kind of a man. He has an ego that lets only a few people enter his daunting vicinity. He relishes big challenges and unlike David Moyes, he has a past to suggest that he knows how to fulfill them.

Often referring to himself in third person, he is very intelligently insolent in his interviews and press conferences. He has a certain level fear among the journalists that exceeds to such extent that a certain gentleman decided to educate the English media about the ways they should adopt when approaching the Netherlands coach.

Also, if there's a coach who has the audacity to clear the deadwood that had been maligning the quality of football at Old Trafford, it is Louis van Gaal. Let's not forget what Luca Toni said about him!

But if one still doesn’t believe in him, just recite this over and over; 'at least he is not David Moyes'.