Guardian Interview - Louis van Gaal: ‘I thought Manchester United could buy every player'

tenpoless

Full Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2014
Messages
16,177
Location
Fabinho's forehead
I thought you weren't a cock, Van Gaal and then you dared to transform into one.

We intended to hire a team rebuilder, not a magician nor someone who tries his utmost best to get his players horny.
If you win then you can go to Mr. Wings is the dumbest thing I have ever heard since Benteke to Real Madrid.
 

Majima

Full Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
4,038
Location
Kami's Lookout
Supports
Ralf Rangnick.
Yeah Woodward probably didn't help him enough and our lack of structure either. Although I still think he wanted most of the players he ended up getting. I say Martial and Falcao as last second punts might have been players he didn't consider at the start, but did buy since we played so poorly in attack in our first 3-4 games before the window closed so he did want to bring in another attack to magically solve our dull style that he coached. I think he probably wanted a better player than Blind too, but went for him when he couldn't get the world class defenders/midfielders he wanted.
We started so poorly after that pre-season because the players were knackered. Van Gaal complained at the time about it, saying how ridiculously commercial the tour was. Remember?

At that point it was panic stations trying to get any old attackers in. Because Woodward couldn't secure a top striker for him earlier. I don't think anyone in their right mind would want a crocked Falcao coming off a cruciate injury but he was cheap.

He wanted the top players which he thought we were capable of getting, but this is Woodward, so he should have thought again.

I think the main point is the structure above has been failing our managers from the start. None of them are set up for success. Until we fix that, nothing will change I imagine. As even the Peps of this world need their Txiki...
 
Last edited:

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
Now I accept that we are not going to win anything decent with Woodward around. It is not The Glazers as we won plenty after they took over. It is Woodward the problem. Until they get rid of him or push him somewhere else we will not win the PL or the CL.
 

Majima

Full Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
4,038
Location
Kami's Lookout
Supports
Ralf Rangnick.
Now I accept that we are not going to win anything decent with Woodward around. It is not The Glazers as we won plenty after they took over. It is Woodward the problem. Until they get rid of him or push him somewhere else we will not win the PL or the CL.
Woodward is the right arm of Glazers. We aren't getting rid of one without the other unfortunately. He masterminded their takeover. No way in hell, they get rid of him.

Nah, the rot started with the Glazers when after Ronaldo sale, replaced him with Valencia, Owen & Obertan. SAF the goat, papered over the cracks but they've been lousy owners. It was a testament to the great man that we won in spite of those parasites.
 

mariachi-19

Full Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
18,595
Location
I may be the devil, but i'm not a monster
Disgruntled ex employee shit pans ex employer...

Redcafe: "OMG I KNEW IT! feck THE GLAZERS, feck WOODWARD! LETS MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF OUR PREVIOUS MANAGERS HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ABSOLUTE DROSS THEY'VE SIGNED OR THEIR feckED ANTIQUATED MANAGERIAL STYLES!!"

Get a fecking grip you muppets. Both this dickhead and Mourinho have been given over 500 hundred million and spent it mostly on shit.
 

Majima

Full Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
4,038
Location
Kami's Lookout
Supports
Ralf Rangnick.
Disgruntled ex employee shit pans ex employer...

Redcafe: "OMG I KNEW IT! feck THE GLAZERS, feck WOODWARD! LETS MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF OUR PREVIOUS MANAGERS HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ABSOLUTE DROSS THEY'VE SIGNED
Your argument breaks down when we've seen the same thing for years now.

Woodward is an odious toad who couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery. Fact.

Yes, feck the Glazers & feck Woodward too.
 

mariachi-19

Full Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
18,595
Location
I may be the devil, but i'm not a monster
Your argument breaks down when we've seen the same thing for years now.

Woodward is an odious toad who couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery. Fact.

Yes, feck the Glazers & feck Woodward too.
You mean two over the hill managers who have failed to adapt their tactical nous to the Modern Game and are both well known for their irritability and stubbornness.

Again, well over 500 million spent and look at the state of the squad. Thats not down to Woodward and the Glazers, thats down to sheer fecking incompetency from those managers telling them what players to sign.
 

Needham

Full Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2013
Messages
11,747
Ah, I think back to that goal away at Southampton and wonder what might have been.
 

Red_toad

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
11,587
Location
DownUnder
Now I accept that we are not going to win anything decent with Woodward around. It is not The Glazers as we won plenty after they took over. It is Woodward the problem. Until they get rid of him or push him somewhere else we will not win the PL or the CL.
We had a great manager when we were successful under the Glazers. A man who got more out of the players at his disposal than anyone since.
The Glazers have the final say in all things United. Ed does not act completely independently. The owners are as much of an issue as Ed.

Just looked at Van Gaal’s interview. Does look like he was not fully supported, just like Jose and probably Ole (we shall see how it goes this window).
 

Grande

Full Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2007
Messages
6,205
Location
The Land of Do-What-You-Will
You mean two over the hill managers who have failed to adapt their tactical nous to the Modern Game and are both well known for their irritability and stubbornness.

Again, well over 500 million spent and look at the state of the squad. Thats not down to Woodward and the Glazers, thats down to sheer fecking incompetency from those managers telling them what players to sign.
But Ed, why did you choose two over the hill managers with no tactical nous to spend 500 mill on players?
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,143
Supports
Everton
I mean, it's not like you bought one of the best strikers in the world at the time in Falcao (despite his injury) or a Di Maria that had just finished a wonderful season for Madrid in a different position to what we usually saw from him, or a Luke Shaw that was in PL TOTYs as a teenager and widely regarded as the best LB in the league by pundits or two of the most brightest young talents of their respective generations in Depay and Martial or a Schneiderlin that was also regarded as one of the best in the league as he was consistently at the top of DM stat charts...

These types of players at the time wouldn't go to just any club, they were on the radar of the big ones.
 

SambaBoy

Full Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
4,205
Trying to make excuses in most of that. He knows the fans and former players are on Woodwards' back so it's easy to speak negatively about him. Every club goes on pre-season tours mostly in the US and China so it's hardly an excuse to use for a poor start to the season, even Chelsea played a money spinning friendly before the Europa League final.

He was given the resources to succeed, he brought in a lot of players and also decided to stick faith in the youngsters who ultimately weren't good enough.

Woodward has made mistakes and he needs to appoint a director of football or someone of that ilk but all the fault can't be put on him. He's brought in good managers and given them enough resources to succeed or at least do better than what we have been doing.
 

UncleBob

New Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
6,330
We had a great manager when we were successful under the Glazers. A man who got more out of the players at his disposal than anyone since.
The Glazers have the final say in all things United. Ed does not act completely independently. The owners are as much of an issue as Ed.

Just looked at Van Gaal’s interview. Does look like he was not fully supported, just like Jose and probably Ole (we shall see how it goes this window).
Not entirely sure what the definition of "fully supported" is, but last time I checked we signed players for £250mill (including Falcao's loan deal) in his two years at the club. 13 first team players, apart from Valdez the majority were meant as players going into the starting 11.

Not fully supported, eh ?
 

UncleBob

New Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
6,330
But Ed, why did you choose two over the hill managers with no tactical nous to spend 500 mill on players?
Ultimately Woodward is the one responsible, but it's somewhat naive to think that the little fecker just sat down in his office and googled his way to Van Gaal and Mourinho all on his own. Plenty of people were consulted and involved in making that decision.
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
Scout
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
65,354
Location
France
You forgot Robben, Muller, Badstuber, Mario Gomez and Alaba. And by the way also good to know: he reached the CL final with Bayern with his terrible purchases and youngsters.




At Barcelona: Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol.

Speaking of terrible, Ajax in 1995/1996/1997 was really terrible. Best in the world actually.

Some Dutch tend to be good, Kluivert, F. de Boer, Reiziger were all WC players that played one or two CL finals.

I've heard Van Nistelrooy was pretty decent at well at United, Van Persie, Stam and Vd Sar were ok as well I guess. Meulensteen was a decent staff member under SAF.

Seems Ferguson wanted just Dutch as well if he could get them.

Even Depay is a great player, not that anybody in England seems to know. Because they do not seem to have a clue what happens across the channel.

I've even heard most United fans now want a certain Dutch player in their team. Please dont, he's pretty terrible, just like the rest of them.
At no point did I suggest that dutch players were terrible, it was about how LVG find players that he purchases. For example most of the players that you mentioned were already at Bayern, Ajax and Barcelona when he became manager. There is no issue with his ability to evaluate players that he has on the training pitch but he has zero imagination and will mainly target players that he already managed when it comes to transfers.

And Depay isn't close to be a great player.
 

edbe

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 24, 2018
Messages
44
Supports
Ajax
At no point did I suggest that dutch players were terrible, it was about how LVG find players that he purchases. For example most of the players that you mentioned were already at Bayern, Ajax and Barcelona when he became manager. There is no issue with his ability to evaluate players that he has on the training pitch but he has zero imagination and will mainly target players that he already managed when it comes to transfers.

And Depay isn't close to be a great player.
The players that were at Bayern (Muller, Badstuber), Ajax (Seedorf, Davids, Kluivert etc.), Barcelona (Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol) and United (Rashford, Fosuh Mensah) were youngster that he took from the respective youth academy's.

You should've seen Depay at PSV and Lyon, he's still absant in some games, but there's no question about his ability.
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
Scout
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
65,354
Location
France
The players that were at Bayern (Muller, Badstuber), Ajax (Seedorf, Davids, Kluivert etc.), Barcelona (Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol) and United (Rashford, Fosuh Mensah) were youngster that he took from the respective youth academy's.

You should've seen Depay at PSV and Lyon, he's still absant in some games, but there's no question about his ability.
The first sentence is irrelevant to the conversation about incoming transfers and the second part, Depay is a decent player but he isn't great, it's as simple as that.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
We're obviously not a sugar daddy club, but we did back him significantly. The fact that he thought Memphis would be a creative solution, exposes his own failures.

It's a good interview though, and I don't think he's particularly bitter about the club. He seems to understand the nature of the business. Funnily it seems like he probably would've been less bitter if we sacked him mid-season, rather than wait till the end of the year.
Depay has one of the highest amount of created chances in Europe presently, only that he's at his best as a SS or false 9 striker without Fekir masquerading behind him as a no 10. Problem was Rooney had the SS position and was unmovable hence Depay had to play on the wing.

Van Gaal also wanted Mane. If he had got Mane, I would say an attack of Martial, Mane and Rashford with Depay behind isn't shabby (after Rooney gets dropped the following season). All he would need is quality central midfielders to replace the ageing Carrick and perma crock Schweisteiger. Also, a right fullback and maybe a central defender.
 

Needham

Full Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2013
Messages
11,747
I mean, it's not like you bought one of the best strikers in the world at the time in Falcao (despite his injury) or a Di Maria that had just finished a wonderful season for Madrid in a different position to what we usually saw from him, or a Luke Shaw that was in PL TOTYs as a teenager and widely regarded as the best LB in the league by pundits or two of the most brightest young talents of their respective generations in Depay and Martial or a Schneiderlin that was also regarded as one of the best in the league as he was consistently at the top of DM stat charts...

These types of players at the time wouldn't go to just any club, they were on the radar of the big ones.
Falcao was so bad I have trouble remembering he wasn't an emoji who got the odd game.
 

Raw

Full Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2013
Messages
25,399
Location
Manchester, UK
Sounds like he couldn't be bothered to defend. But it does show what a control freak LVG was and how he failed to play his players in their favoured positions.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
There was no way Depay would have displaced the big elephant in the room, which is Rooney in the SS role hence had to play on the left side. Rooney was even still allowed to play despite his decline form yet some of his fans were already lambasting Van Gaal for his poor form. It would have been worse if he had been dropped.
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
Scout
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
65,354
Location
France
Sounds like he couldn't be bothered to defend. But it does show what a control freak LVG was and how he failed to play his players in their favoured positions.
I don't think that he had an issue with defending, he just wasn't good at it and it wasn't what put him on clubs radars which logically confused him, we did the same with Martial. Both are forwards, you want them in and around the box all the time, you shouldn't want them in the build up or defending much. That's one of the reasons why I have no sympathy for Mourinho and LVG regarding their United stints, they purposely put players in bad situations by routinely exposing their flaws. Mourinho even did it to McTominay by putting him in strictly defensive roles and even as a CB, neither of these managers cared about their players or the team it was all about their egos and forcing their ideas on everyone.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
I mean, it's not like you bought one of the best strikers in the world at the time in Falcao (despite his injury) or a Di Maria that had just finished a wonderful season for Madrid in a different position to what we usually saw from him, or a Luke Shaw that was in PL TOTYs as a teenager and widely regarded as the best LB in the league by pundits or two of the most brightest young talents of their respective generations in Depay and Martial or a Schneiderlin that was also regarded as one of the best in the league as he was consistently at the top of DM stat charts...

These types of players at the time wouldn't go to just any club, they were on the radar of the big ones.
Falcao was unfit throughout. Shaw got injured and it's not like Shaw is even that good to begin with. Van Gaal didn't even sign Shaw.

Schneiderlin is even struggling at your club, Everton as we speak yet you expect him to be worldie while he was at Manutd?

Di Maria wasn't settled because he didn't want a move to Manutd but PSG which only fell through in the last minute due to PSG's FFP problem.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
I don't think that he had an issue with defending, he just wasn't good at it and it wasn't what put him on clubs radars which logically confused him, we did the same with Martial. Both are forwards, you want them in and around the box all the time, you shouldn't want them in the build up or defending much. That's one of the reasons why I have no sympathy for Mourinho and LVG regarding their United stints, they purposely put players in bad situations by routinely exposing their flaws. Mourinho even did it to McTominay by putting him in strictly defensive roles and even as a CB, neither of these managers cared about their players or the team it was all about their egos and forcing their ideas on everyone.
Depay still struggles as left wing forward without a creative midfielder in his team. Van Gaal actually played him as a forward, just like he did with Martial but he doesn't have the quickness, the pace nor the close control of Martial to escape defenders. If we had a creative midfielder to constantly pick out his movement on the wing, it would have been better but we didn't hence, why he could only be at his best as a SS but that role was already occupied by the unmovable Rooney.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
He finished 5th in a much weaker league,
playing negative, out dated and quite simple football. He was terrible in the transfer market and left behind a mess, LVG, the board, Moyes and Jose have all played the part in where we are today and it’s why we are so far behind.
Same weak league that Mourinho almost relegated Chelsea in, you mean?
 

NoLogo

Full Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
19,750
Location
I can't remember why I joined this war.
I think he is pretty much spot on with most of the things he said but it's also no secret that we have a problem with Woody in charge of this club. That shouldn't excuse all the mistakes he made himself but he is pretty much spot on if he says we need someone with extensive footballing knowledge to bring structure back to this club and it's footballing department. Woody isn't the man to do it and if we don't find someone soon we will continue to struggle, no matter who the new manager is.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
I found it really interesting that he really struggled to name any good outfield players at the club, especially since he seemed to be the one responsible for a £250m rebuild.

But then he seems to suggest he didn't get the players he wanted. It all begs the question, who at the club is deciding which players to sign? It can't be Woodward and Judge surely? Whoever it is should be sacked for gross incompetence.

I still remember LVG complaining about the squad he inherited, yet the one Mourinho inherited (after £250m) was infinitely worse.
Martial, Rashford, Depay, Blind were all good players. Smalling and Shaw were actually solid players as well. Most of these players were relegated to the bench to have Mourinho's new shining toys in Bailly, Mikhitaryan, Sanchez. Zlatan and Pogba were the only good player Mourinho signed.
 

roonster09

Hercule Poirot of the scouting world
Scout
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
36,515
Same weak league that Mourinho almost relegated Chelsea in, you mean?
This has nothing to do with Jose. Van Gaal also made many mistakes and your posts are just like other Jose fans except the manager you are defending is different.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
He is more or less clearly stating that he wasn't his choice afterwards, but during


As for management:

Yet he played him all around the pitch, mostly in midfield and as a striker. Rarely on the left. He explains it that he didn't perform as a 80 million pound player on the left wing but he didn't have any patience for Di Maria to find form in any position.

Angel Di Maria also came out and said everything changed after 2 months at United due to a fight with LvG, over LvG being overly negative which was holding Di Maria back.

As for (others) calling people who "don't recognize the problems at the club" as idiots, well done in seeing B where someone states A. It's blindingly obvious for everyone that the club has a structural/personnel issue as well as other issues.
I think that Robben was his first choice. In fact, at the time, di Maria wasn't even available on the market because Madrid were negotiating with him until the discussion broke down. The board could have suggested di Maria after they couldn't get Robben and di Maria was made available by Madrid but since Van Gaal once admired him, he gave the go ahead to get him eventhough he wasn't in his list or plan in the first place. Problem is di Maria has already regressed as a winger while playing for Madrid. In fact, he was almost moved out in January because of his poor form until he made a come back as a makeshift box-box midfielder after Khedira got injured. It was probably why Madrid's president got angry at him asking for a huge wage increase after only 6 months of good performance.

At that time, I was even worried when we were linked to him but I thought he was going to be deployed as a box-box midfielder but even aside that, he needs a playmaker alongside him in the midfield to control it and constantly release him like Alonso and Modric did several times because Di Maria was a turnover machine who loves to force play however his intensity and mobility was a welcome complement to Modric and Alonso play in the midfield.
 

Fluctuation0161

Full Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Messages
8,156
Location
Manchester
Disgruntled ex employee shit pans ex employer...

Redcafe: "OMG I KNEW IT! feck THE GLAZERS, feck WOODWARD! LETS MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF OUR PREVIOUS MANAGERS HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ABSOLUTE DROSS THEY'VE SIGNED OR THEIR feckED ANTIQUATED MANAGERIAL STYLES!!"

Get a fecking grip you muppets. Both this dickhead and Mourinho have been given over 500 hundred million and spent it mostly on shit.
Because both managers have compeletely different styles and player requirements. LVG requires possesion based players and Mourinho requires the opposite - giant, counter attacking players.

It's actually further reason for criticism of Woodward (and by proxy the Glazers) that they spent hundreds of millions on possesions based players but then sacked LVG and got an anti-possesion manager in who requires another complete rebuild starting from scratch.

Don't be a muppet. ;)
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
This has nothing to do with Jose. Van Gaal also made many mistakes and your posts are just like other Jose fans except the manager you are defending is different.
Trying to undermine Van Gaal's achievements when the manager we appointed in his place almost relegated Chelsea in the same era of weak league, is something I can't get my head around.

Anyway, I think Van Gaal's problem while he was here was the sluggish uncreative midfield and Rooney hence the sluggish display. Mourinho got this sorted out by getting Pogba and Matic and relegating Rooney to the bench however, he doesn't have Van Gaal's tactical nous. Only Van Gaal could have won something with that sluggish ageing lethargic uncreative midfield in the first place.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
He’s a funny guy but he’s taking the piss
About Di Maria, of course he wanted him, perhaps he wasn’t his first option (Neymar? He really expected us to sign Neymar?).
He wanted Neymar then too. I actually wanted Neymar and I still do except that he's a bellend.
 

Roboc7

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
6,562
Same weak league that Mourinho almost relegated Chelsea in, you mean?
Not sure what kind of argument you’re trying to make there, no relevance to Jose (although he did win it season before).

LVG had weak competition and still couldn’t compete, we finished on exactly the same points as this season in fact and lower in the table and with less points than the previous season.
 

Ødegaard

formerly MrEriksen
Scout
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
11,474
Location
Norway
I think that Robben was his first choice. In fact, at the time, di Maria wasn't even available on the market because Madrid were negotiating with him until the discussion broke down. The board could have suggested di Maria after they couldn't get Robben and di Maria was made available by Madrid but since Van Gaal once admired him, he gave the go ahead to get him eventhough he wasn't in his list or plan in the first place. Problem is di Maria has already regressed as a winger while playing for Madrid. In fact, he was almost moved out in January because of his poor form until he made a come back as a makeshift box-box midfielder after Khedira got injured. It was probably why Madrid's president got angry at him asking for a huge wage increase after only 6 months of good performance.

At that time, I was even worried when we were linked to him but I thought he was going to be deployed as a box-box midfielder but even aside that, he needs a playmaker alongside him in the midfield to control it and constantly release him like Alonso and Modric did several times because Di Maria was a turnover machine who loves to force play however his intensity and mobility was a welcome complement to Modric and Alonso play in the midfield.
I think he was deluded if he really thought United could just go out and buy top players at the best clubs in the world. We're not Real Madrid. I don't have issues with your comment though.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
I think he was deluded if he really thought United could just go out and buy top players at the best clubs in the world. We're not Real Madrid. I don't have issues with your comment though.
He said he came to Manutd instead of Spurs because he thought we could afford every players :lol: He wanted Neymar then and I guess Neymar was on his top list as well. To be honest, I actually wanted Neymar too because he was actually a better winger than di Maria but I knew it was impossible then.
 

Ødegaard

formerly MrEriksen
Scout
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
11,474
Location
Norway
He said he came to Manutd instead of Spurs because he thought we could afford every players :lol: He wanted Neymar then and I guess Neymar was on his top list as well. To be honest, I actually wanted Neymar too because he was actually a better winger than di Maria but I knew it was impossible then.
Wanting top players is all good, and you have to try, but realistically no one but Real and to a lesser extent Barca have that sort of pull. If he needed Neymar to score 50 goals in a league season then the issue is elsewhere. :p
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
Not sure what kind of argument you’re trying to make there, no relevance to Jose (although he did win it season before).

LVG had weak competition and still couldn’t compete, we finished on exactly the same points as this season in fact and lower in the table and with less points than the previous season.
All the team above ours actually had mobile midfielders. Only ours and Chelsea didn't, especially after Ramirez regressed/left but while Van Gaal kept us competing, Mourinho almost relegated Chelsea.
 

Kaglish10

Full Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
976
Wanting top players is all good, and you have to try, but realistically no one but Real and to a lesser extent Barca have that sort of pull. If he needed Neymar to score 50 goals in a league season then the issue is elsewhere. :p
Neymar doesn't just score though but creates a lot, which was what we needed, apart from his pace which we also lacked.