Louis van Gaal really is box office magic.
He has that same alchemic reaction when mixed with the media as Sir Fergie did for so long.
Some managers send you to sleep in their press conferences but LvG’s honesty without the total reveal leaves you hanging on his every word.
In his latest press conference he thrilled Manchester United fans by saying that he wants to sign another creative genius this summer. When asked if this was HIS Manchester United yet, in terms of his squad, he said:
“No, because we have to look for more balance, for more creativity. For example, Chelsea have Hazard, Willian and Oscar. There is a lot of creativity there. And you need that because you have to disorganise [the teams who park] the bus. Next year there might be more teams who are parking the bus.”
He then reasserted the point:
“We don’t have a good vision. We can use much more creativity,”
Manchester City have Agüero, it’s the same type. Barcelona has Messi, Neymar and Suárez. We as Manchester United have to compete with these clubs. So we have to look also for that kind of players.
It’s exactly how we feel about the situation. Memphis Depay was a fantastic addition but if he plays through the centre next season Manchester United will need another wide man from the top drawer. LvG stated that Ashley Young may not be the answer.
“Young had a fantastic season but he is not a Neymar and we have to compete with that kind of class.”
When you look around the market it’s difficult to identify too many players of that sort of quality.
But the mere fact that the Manchester United manager is now looking for this sort of player is reassuring for the fans. With Angel di Maria potentially leaving the club, the need for pace and penetration will be even greater and so you can expect Manchester United to be fighting right until the end to bring in a top quality forward this summer.
Is Pedro the man? Well, while he is an excellent player he isn’t necessarily of the game-changing level that Louis is on about. So perhaps we can expect one more marquee signing this summer.
Manchester United fans: who would you like to see through the door?
