Louis van Gaal’s busy summer at Manchester United – FIVE things the Dutchman must do
Holland coach Louis van Gaal has been given a three-year contract by Manchester United
1 | Transfers
Last summer was a well-publicised disaster at Old Trafford after David Moyes and Ed Woodward were lead down the garden path by Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas. On top of that came the derisory bids for Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini and of course the shocking pursuit of Ander Herrera on transfer deadline day.
Van Gaal needs to hit the ground running with his transfer targets this summer. Reports this morning that he knows who he wants are already a positive sign.
The very fact that the squad numbers five, seven, nine and 11 are all vacant shows that there is a spine of a team missing.
The targets of Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos and Edinson Cavani are obviously exciting but it will take a hell of a turnaround from last summer to convince that class of player to join a club that finished seventh last season. It’s worth getting in there early and offering these guys the best package possible – remember it’s Manchester United you’ll be playing for.
Barcelona have reportedly said they will listen to offers for a number of players with Alexis Sanchez, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro all on the list. Two pacey wingers who score at important times and a midfielder capable of dictating tempo. Anyone for an early bid?
Cesc Fabregas has been linked with a £40million move to Old Trafford
2 | Dead Wood
Looking at the United squad last season, it was clear that some of the players didn’t care or were clearly just not good enough. Van Gaal has said to Dutch TV that he has decided who he wants to leave.
Patrice Evra has been brilliant for United but could he really say he was up to scratch last season or the season before? He is out of contract and could re-sign but only as a back up, something that Evra himself has struggled with during his time at the club.
Alex Buttner, Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Javier Hernandez, Nani, just to name a few, did not hit the heights of seasons past. Neither did any of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones or Jonny Evans.
It is up to van Gaal to decide who can improve and who can’t and from there departures will come. Movement in and out of the club will freshen the squad up and help Old Trafford breathe in some much needed fresh air.
Ashley Young has failed to live up to a hefty price tag since joining the club in 2011
3 | Tap into potential
Some of the players in mentioned above could be classed in the ‘potential’ category. Cleverley, Jones, Smalling and Evans may not have been world-beaters last year but there is hope for them, given the right coaching and in the cases of Smalling and Jones – being given one position to concentrate on.
Add to these the stand-out highlight of last season in Adnan Januzaj, who the new boss must be looking at as a cornerstone in his squad. Someone to follow in the footsteps of the Giggs.
Wilfried Zaha, Sir Alex Ferguson’s last United signing, struggled to settle last term. The disciplinarian Dutchman should work wonders for one of England’s young bright things and must start afresh this summer.
Shinji Kagawa should have been hitting his Dortmund heights at United but has clearly struggled with being used sporadically by both Ferguson and Moyes. There is no doubt he has top-class qualities and with a few signs that he and Juan Mata thrived together towards the end of last season, this could be a building block on which to start.
Wilfried Zaha found it tough going in his first season in the Barclays Premier League
4 | Walk in with a swagger
Van Gaal needs to do what David Moyes didn’t. Take the job head on and attack it rather than let people question how he will adjust to the club.
The club should be seemingly looking to adjust to the new man, not the other way around and the signs suggest that walking in at Manchester United will not faze the Dutchman but the former Barcelona manager will thrive on it.
Moyes seemed overawed and meek at times, two adjectives that cannot be thrown at van Gaal.
David Moyes was a victim of ridicule from the media for much of his reign
5 | Get Old Trafford Rocking
Manchester United play with pace, intensity and a never-say-die attitude. Based on last season, that first statement would seem a lie but these are the fundamentals that Van Gaal will wish to build on.
He may not play a 4-4-2 but hardly anybody does these days – and the one thing the Dutchman will do is pick a system that works and stick with it.
His intensity as a coach and his attitude to being questioned by the media will already have Old Trafford buzzing but it is what he does on the coaching pitch that should light a fire up the backsides of the under performers and get the old ground rocking again.
Manchester United have a huge worldwide fanbase
Hold tight folks, the Dutch master class is going to be a lot of fun.
Do you agree? What else does the new manager need to do to ensure that Manchester United are able to fight for silverware next season? Who must he sign and who must he sell?
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