Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has already made his presence felt on his squad
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is renowned as a disciplinarian and a man that does not respect reputations.
Throughout his career he has won silverware and done it by not allowing big egos or price tags get in the way of winning.
Unfit
The Dutch boss has already had an impact on the United squad.
The veteran boss has recently told £30million new signing Luke Shaw to train on his own, after stating that the England international is not fit enough to play in the role he had planned for him.
This sort of thing could become commonplace at Old Trafford in the next couple of seasons. Apparently Shaw has responded positively to the request and has Van Gaal has received good reports about his fitness from United staff.
Needed
Former-United boss David Moyes is not regarded as soft or somebody to mess with. In fact he was regarded as quite a fierce character during his days at Everton. However, at Manchester United the Scot seemed to be out of his depth.
It appeared from the outside that he was overawed by the United players reputations and egos. He did not quite keep the same control of the United players, as he did with the Everton players. The United players may be seen as more high-profile, but they are still just players.
The appointment of a no-nonsense boss like Van Gaal was exactly what United needed this summer. The veteran Dutch boss has some of the similar traits to that of former-United supremo Sir Alex Ferguson.
It was claimed that Moyes had similar characteristics to that of his fellow Scot, but Van Gaal is a very different sort of character to Moyes.
The Scot is quite humble compared to the sometimes overconfident Van Gaal. The Dutchman has a reputation for being slightly arrogant, which at a club like Manchester United you need to be as a boss. Moyes did not have the same arrogant streak.
Van Gaal is ruthless. Moyes did not seem to be ruthless enough to control what was let’s be honest a relatively mediocre United squad.
Controversial
Van Gaal has had a chequered career at times, because he upsets players and fans alike at times. It seems he is a boss you either love or hate, slightly like Marmite. It is either his way or the highway, and no in-between.
Any players that do not buy into the Dutchman’s methods will find themselves out in the cold or at another club. He will not tolerate ill-discipline or poor behaviour, which is understandable for a manager at the top level.
Successful
His methods are tried and tested and have brought success wherever he has managed. He has won league titles in Holland, Spain and Germany. There is no doubt about it the way Van Gaal manages his players can bring the best out of certain individuals.
His management of Robin van Persie is a case in point. When he was appointed as Oranje boss Van Gaal for the second time after Euro 2012, the veteran boss asked his team for their views. Van Persie did not express his and Van Gaal thought he was displaying a negative attitude and dropped the striker to the bench.
However, Van Persie reacted in a positive manner and proved himself to Van Gaal, even earning the captaincy of his national team. Van Gaal later admitted that he did not know Van Persie as a person, but that he has since proved to be the ultimate professional.
If he can get a similar positive reaction from some of United’s underperforming players next season then he will be successful at United.
Improvement
I have no doubts that Manchester United will improve under Louis van Gaal next season, with or without fresh faces this summer. The Dutchman can pull out every last bit of talent from players and help them fulfil their potential, if they buy into his philosophy.
Manchester United will be a far more dangerous team than last season and I would be very surprised if they failed to finish in the Champions League positions next season under the experienced Dutchman.
What are the expectations for Manchester United next season?
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