Louis van Gaal has a big job on his hands at Manchester United

Holland boss Louis van Gaal is set to be named as Manchester United boss next week

It seems a matter of when, not if Dutch boss Louis van Gaal becomes the Manchester United boss now.

The experienced Holland boss will head into a club that needs a lift after a season of underachievement under David Moyes.

Biggest Club

Holland’s national team boss was interviewed by Sky Sports yesterday and had this to say: “You have to wait and see when the club decide,”

“It is always the same, it’s always a process and you have to wait for the process. The press are always too fast.”

Asked about what he knew about Manchester United.

He replied in typical Van Gaal style saying: “A stupid question I think. It’s the biggest club in the world. What do you know about Manchester United?”

“You have to ask the club, not to me. I would love the job. You have to wait and see,”

Inevitable

It now seems inevitable that the experienced former-Ajax boss will be the next in the United dugout. Van Gaal had stated a while ago that he would be quitting his position as head coach of Holland and was heavily linked with Tottenham, whose boss Tim Sherwood looks set to be replaced this summer.

Big Job

Manchester United are currently seventh position in the Premier League, with just Sunday’s visit to Southampton left to play, a game that the Red Devils are odds of 9/5 to win. United have fallen a long distance in just a season.

I doubt that many United fans could have foreseen their team’s fall from champions last season to their worst position in 24 years.

Rebuild

This season has been a harsh reality check for United fans. The team needs major rebuilding this summer and Van Gaal is expected to be given a big transfer kitty. The Dutchman will need to use all his experience and contacts in the game to strengthen his United squad this summer.

The Dutchman already knows he will be without key centre-back Nemanja Vidic next season, after the Serbian decided to join Italian club Inter. Other experienced defenders Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand are also out-of-contract and could leave Old Trafford.

Current United interim boss Ryan Giggs still has does not know his fate for next season, but the Welshman could retire from playing and focus on his coaching career. That is a number of United’s first team squad whose futures are in doubt.

Those players may need to be replaced. However, maybe that will be a good thing for United and freshen up the squad next season. United have endured a poor season and maybe a host of new faces is exactly what the Red Devils need to be successful in the new campaign.

Experience

For me Louis van Gaal is the right choice of boss for Manchester United in this transition period. He will keep his cool and has a similar sort of personality to former-United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Van Gaal is stubborn and determined, just like Ferguson.

The Dutch boss is also a big character, who will command respect in the dressing room. Van Gaal has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world in Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. At all three the Dutch boss won league titles.

Controversial

Van Gaal maybe controversial at times, but he wins silverware and builds teams. The 62-year-old seems to ruffle people’s feathers and had problems with players at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

However, maybe that is exactly the sort of boss that United are in need of now, somebody that will rule with an iron fist, rather than a velvet glove. David Moyes is no shrinking violet, but he seemed to have a problem stamping his authority on the United dressing room.

Van Gaal will not have that problem. The Dutchman will come in and not be afraid to upset and unsettle players. He is not a respecter of reputations and United are in need of that sort of boss.

Time

Van Gaal needs time to sort the squad out. The Dutchman does win trophies wherever he goes, but he usually needs time to instil his ideas into players, some of which players have not always agreed with.

Time is a big commodity in the Premier League, as fans get very impatient if their team is not winning. However, United fans are more likely to be more patient if they see that the team are moving in the right direction.

Top-four

This summer will be a big one at Manchester United, as Louis van Gaal looks to restructure his squad for next season. This season’s top-four will no doubt strengthen their squads this summer, so it will be difficult for United to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

The first objective in getting United back on track is for the Red Devils to claim a place in the top-four next season and there seems to be no better qualified man to do that than Van Gaal.

Is Louis van Gaal the man to take United forward?