You know what the funniest thing is? There's a notion that LvG would have eventually been a success at United and he would have led us to a superfluid and extravagantly attacking football simply because he's Dutch and therefore shares the same basic principles with all the managers who follow the Cruyffian approach in football. Despite the latter being true, there was always a huge gap between LvG and Cruyff's philosophy when you get past its basis. In fact, the late Cruyff absolutely despised LvG (and vice versa). For those who have the time to do a bit of research on the internet, you'll find some ridiculous moments between the two. But just to give you an idea, Cruyff once described LvG's methods as... militaristic. Does it ring a bell when you think back on our performances under LvG?
Now, there are two basic ways to judge a manager's approach. The first one is the tactical analysis of his game (theory) and the second one is the way he chooses to harmonize his wants and his players' skills and abilities (practical). Both are equally important and each one can lead to a false conclusion when looked at separately from the other. For example, in theory, Mourinho and Ferguson have more than a few things in common. They both set their teams to defend deep and narrow in their own third, they both attempt to protect the central channels and lead the opposition out wide and they both aim to establish control in the square between the CBs and the CMs. They also rely on lightning-quick transitions to create chances. But that's where the differences begin. Ferguson showed absolute faith in his individuals on the pitch. Of course, there were attacking patterns (such as the long diagonal ball that would set the wingers in 1v1 situations) but the players were encouraged to showcase their skills. In return, each player had to adapt to his teammates' skills too and accept Ferguson's supreme authority as the overseeing eye and high judge. Mourinho, on the other hand, prioritizes structure. He doesn't simply set basic patterns for his players to follow, he draws blueprints that must be followed to the letter. He's not dogmatic about these blueprints per se and he alters them according to the opponent or their level of success but you can expect that they will always be there with him as the manager. And when he struggles to find the right ones, it seems to the naked eye that his teams don't know how to attack. Does it remind you of someone else?
Yup, the same thing applies to LvG and his interpretation of the Dutch model. LvG is also of the opinion that the collective and the system of play is more important than the individual player and the expression of his talents. Guardiola is closer to the Cruyfian principles, with his high degree of vertical position switching/the higher tempo in passing and the higher and more aggressive pressing, than LvG will ever be. LvG is far more cautious, he is wary of extreme position switching and player movement as it decreases defensive stability and does not want to press if he feels there is a high risk of being hit on the counter. At its best, it worked like a charm. At its worst... we all saw it at its worst. But make no mistake, this is what the man believes in. In theory, LvG is a teacher of the Dutch model but in his treatment of the individual talent, he is on the same wavelength as Mourinho despite the fact that the latter is a far more reactive/defensive manager in his basic approach.
In the same sense managers like Guardiola and Klopp have completely different philosophies when compared with SAF but they all embrace the "controlled freedom" of expression he allowed to his players. And it doesn't really come as a big surprise when Guardiola describes SAF as his idol in English football. Managers like LvG, Tuchel, and Bielsa are control freaks. And that's the main reason they enjoy limited periods of exquisite success by reaching tremendous heights followed by prolonged periods of having very little to show for when the right players just weren't there. Poch should be tested without the bunch of talented players he inherited at Spurs to see where he stands. But when the "right" players aren't there, you can't expect miracles to happen out of the blue with LvG at the helm. Then you might ask, why has Mourinho enjoyed such big successes in his managerial career? The answer is simple, because of his ultra-cautious approach. Right there, LvG gets a point as he sets his teams to do their thing instead of reacting to his opponent's tactics like Mourinho. It's not more intelligent, it's just different. And although Mourinho's approach is being put to the sword nowadays against high pressing and more skilled on the ball sides, LvG's approach doesn't guarantee success either. LvG needed the right players as much as the Mourinho apologists on here believe that Jose needs to change the whole squad.