Sport
LVG’S UNITED TENURE ON THE BRINK AHEAD OF POOL MATCH
The international break hasn’t been kind to Louis van Gaal. With the transfer window closed, Manchester United’s summer business can be defined by solving their midfield troubles, but inexplicably creating problems everywhere else. Seven points from four games is a decent start to the Premier League campaign, but a failure to extend this total when Liverpool visit on Saturday will soon see headlines around Van Gaal turn bleak.
Or, more to the point, bleaker than they already are. News of Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick approaching the Dutchman over his hard-nosed training methods was no doubt blown out of proportion. It’s difficult to imagine Rooney or Carrick wanting to engage in anything other than a constructive conversation about how to improve, despite Van Gaal suggesting they spoke about the ‘flat’ dressing room atmosphere. Heated or not, such coverage only serves to ramp up pressure which began when United didn’t immediately buy a centre-back and ended with a ridiculous sum being spent on Anthony Martial.
Van Gaal is in dangerous territory whether he likes it or not. United have home matches against Arsenal and Manchester City, not to mention away trips to Southampton and Everton, approaching in their five domestic games after the Liverpool tussle. An Old Trafford fixture against Sunderland is likely to provide the only respite. Every poor performance and dropped point now serves as a reminder that, unlike his predecessor David Moyes, Van Gaal has received full financial backing from club vice-executive Ed Woodward without making significant improvements.
There is no room for excuses. Just like in the opposite dugout on Saturday, where Brendan Rodgers will be sat, Van Gaal has quickly decided to build his own team. The deadwood has gone, replaced with developing players who face the difficulty of pushing a great and expectant club forward. Rodgers has almost worked his way through two different squads since arriving at Anfield in 2012, but the Fenway Sports Group are right to have backed a man who genuinely wants to play progressive football. Van Gaal’s love or hate reputation, natural self-confidence and seemingly dull strategies ensures his leash is shorter.
United knew this when they hired him. The three-year contract, of which he is now in year two, isn’t long enough for him to significantly damage the club. He has gained complete control in the knowledge that, if he or United don’t fancy continuing the relationship after 2016-2017, someone else can easily be brought in.
What exactly will they inherit? A squad which is made up of young talent and one or two fading old stars. Major gaps and shortcomings are likely to remain, unless United emulate Manchester City and spend big to address problems. This was the obvious solution during the summer, but one curiously avoided; despite Adidas, Chevrolet and just about every other company on the planet sponsoring the team.
Van Gaal’s cockiness will be tested to the limit when Liverpool arrive. He didn’t need Pedro. He managed to keep David De Gea. Even so, the veteran gives the appearance he is clumsily making things up as he goes along.
For a man who puts so much time into dissecting the opposition, it’s perhaps telling that, well over a year into his United tenure, it’s impossible to assess whether Van Gaal has improved the Red Devils or not. We’ll begin to get a clearer view on Saturday, something which will undoubtedly be replicated once the final whistle blows.
