Peter Swallow (@ccfooty) takes a look at Louis van Gaal and how his character makes him the perfect choice for Manchester United.
A story of legend proven by the men who witnessed it, the story takes us to Bavaria’s Bayern Munich, and to the enigmatic and unconventional Louis van Gaal. The narrator for this sensational tale is Luca Toni.
The Italian striker explains how Van Gaal “wanted to make clear to us that he can drop any player, it was all the same to him, because as he said, he had the balls. He demonstrated this literally (by dropping his trousers). I have never experienced anything like it.”
Fast forward to 2014 and van Gaal, leading The Netherlands at the World Cup, executed yet another remarkable, albeit not quite as bizarre manoeuvre.
With the Dutch about to be taken to penalties in their Quarter-final clash against the seemingly inexorable Costa Rica, van Gaal called for one last substitution.
That change was to haul off first choice Goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, who, minutes earlier had made a crucial save to maintain The Netherland’s World Cup status, and bring on Newcastle United’s Tim Krul for the most vital moment of their tournament.
As if playing Football Manager or FIFA, it seemed as though van Gaal had observed that Krul’s penalty saving stats were higher than that of Cillessen’s, yet this was not a game, it was real life and the reality of the fact is van Gaal’s assumption had no real statistical backing.
Krul has only managed to stop 2 of 20 penalties he’s faced for Newcastle United, yet in the 10 or so minutes that followed, he became a Dutch hero, and van Gaal an international phenomenon.
Post match, the Dutchman explained that he believed Krul’s larger frame and greater reach would be more suited to the agony of the shootout. Yet whatever the reasons, simply having the panache to execute such a dramatic substitution has become more of a story than Holland’s progression into the Semi-finals.
It is something few managers would even consider, yet in one fell swoop, he demonstrated the qualities that his predecessor at Manchester United could only dream of possessing.
United have always been led by great, unrelenting characters, from Sir Matt Busby to Sir Alex Ferguson, most of the men in the Manchester United hot-seat have exuded confidence, and an air of superiority over their rivals, a trait David Moyes simply didn’t have.
It was in his demeanour, the way he held himself, especially as things became eye wateringly difficult. Moyes seemed defeated, with every new setback more life had been sapped from his being, like a Python constricting it’s prey, David Moyes had a look of inevitability about his plight
Upon defeat to Manchester City, Moyes stated “I think we’ve played a very good side and it’s the sort of standard and level we need to try and aspire to get ourselves to at this moment in time”, while his favorable comments about arch rivals Liverpool also demonstrated that perhaps the Scott didn’t posses the required personality characteristics to be the leading man in Manchester.
Van Gaal in that respect is everything Moyes is not. He’s Brash, Bullish, and has an unwavering confidence that declares winning at all costs is the only acceptable outcome.
In this however, van Gaal is an inflammatory character, disagreements with players and staff alike are littered across the scorched earth of his pervious clubs like tombstones in a cemetery.
It does then, seem somewhat inevitable that sparks will fly in Manchester, van Gaal will demand victory, yet dedication and effort will be commanded just as copiously.
Albert Einstein tells us “ a true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination” and with that being said, few can deny the astuteness of United’s new Dutch leader.
While questions remain as to how the English media will adjust to the Dutchman’s own brand of honesty, one thing is for certain; van Gaal has the balls to implement the great Manchester United rebuilding job.