The results haven’t been ideal so far this season. They have improved of late but Manchester United are still off the pace.
But it’s almost a secondary concern under Louis van Gaal. Such is the quality of the man and the manager that Manchester United fans once more have the sort of confidence in their club that was so quickly and cruelly stripped away from them in the ill-fated David Moyes ‘era’.
Here’s why we already love Van Gaal.
Tom Cleverley: Cleverley is one example of why LvG fills you with confidence. For years Manchester United fans have moaned about the inclusion of players like Cleverley and Ashley Young. LvG seems to share these opinions and always tends to pick the best team. Thankfully Cleverley has gone and, although used in desperation at the start of the season, Ashley Young will surely only be a bit part player until he is sold in the summer. We also wholeheartedly agree with the demotion of Darren Fletcher and departures of Welbeck and Hernandez.
Attack: LvG is very much an attack-minded coach. His M.O. is to score more goals than any other team in the league and he spent most of his kitty on top forwards in the summer because he knows that if you can keep the opposition on the back foot then defensive frailties become trivial. As far as Louis is concerned football is about scoring goals.
The Press: Louis doesn’t give a monkeys what the intense British media thinks. This is a polar opposite stance to David Moyes who once said he feared what the press would think if he substituted Van Persie:
Moyes complained that had he substituted Van Persie for United, the press would criticise him
Character: Moyes was a decent guy but simply didn’t possess the sort of charisma required to fill the boots of Ferguson. We don’t subscribe to the idea that ‘you want to be the next one after the successor to Fergie’. If LvG had taken over from Fergie we strongly believe he would still have succeeded. Moyes buckled under the pressure. But LvG thrives on it.
FALCAO and DI MARIA: Louis van Gaal made such a statement when he signed these two world stars. After so much sneering from rivals and the press about Manchester United’s demise, LvG showed the world that the club could still sign the best. Would Moyes have managed to get two such quality players on board?
Manchester United fans: can Louis do anything wrong?
