Opposition fans view - Louis van Gaal

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While it's true that Moyes had no real idea what he wanted to do with the team, it looked to me as if he was caught inbetween carrying on what Ferguson did (as everyone expected) and something he wanted to do.

Van Gaal took over with no expectations like that. He could shape the team in any way he wanted to without any criticism and he faced extremely low expectations for a club that won the title only 12 months before and spent so much money. Yet there was no clear longterm vision. He brought in a big number of forwards and got rid of wingers to play a 3-5-2ish formation that wasn't suited to the squad or the league. He started changing it randomly until through injuries he accidently stumbled onto something that worked well for a few weeks. But instead of building on it, another totally random transfer window happened with no clear plan how to play. He doesn't know how to use most of his signings, doesn't understand their strengths or the roles they're best used in until he tried and tested them almost everywhere.

It's been 18months of trial and error, we've seen counterattacking set-ups, possession based set-ups, kick and rush. Everything worked a few times, but all of it also failed more often than it should. I really don't get why he gets praise for having a clear plan. If he didn't talk such a pretty game with his totally empty philosophy mumbo-jumbo, I doubt many would see a clear plan.

Really, forget everything he said and just look at the games and the decisions in the transfer-market without using a single comment of his and then try to fit it all in one plan, one great idea that he worked towards from the moment he took over. Do you really see it? Because I don't, not one bit.
Sorry I didn't answer before, yesterday was a bit crazy and I didn't have a chance to, and I'm sure there's been loads of posts in between but you make a lot of interesting points so I wanted to answer.

First of all, I just want to clarify that I watch very few of VG's press conferences or media statements or whatever, and I hardly read any of the press about the PL, so most of what I'm saying is my opinion on the matter. Of course I know he talks about philosophy and process (impossible not to when you're on the Caf), but that's pretty much it.

I don't agree with your take on Van Gaal who took over with no longterm vision, and I especially disagree with the point you're making about the systems. For me, Van Gaal has a very clear idea which is to play possession football at its most 'pure' interpretation, by confiscating the ball from the over team and by minimizing the exposure to risks of the team in this manner. I don't believe he's yet found the perfect balance between this defensive game (which I think, until we lost all our players to an epidemic of injuries, we did very well) and a more speedy transition to attack, and he's very cautious in his approach, but I do think his 'philosophy' is quite clear (and I think it's a bit disingenuous to say otherwise to be quite frank). Whether or not this approach is the right one for the PL is another matter, but I'll talk about that after.

So coming back to the systems, the reason I disagree with you is that I don't believe his vision is based around a specific system (a lot of playing styles aren't necessarily and tactics can transcend systems), I think he believes that his approach can function in different systems depending on who's available and who the adversary is. Basically, depending on the context, he'll set up the team in the best manner to deliver his 'philosophy'. And I think this is rather backed up by the fact that even though the systems may have changed, I don't remember us ever actually switching our approach dramatically to another playing style and whatever the system played, the ideology remained the same. You mention the kick and rush play, but this has only ever been used as a last resource when the initial approach wasn't working, and has never (unless I'm mistaken) been our default approach in a game.

The transfers is an interesting point, though I'm less at ease discussing it as I'm not quite sure how exactly they occur. Simply speaking, I think there are certain transfers in a club like ours that aren't necessarily motivated by sporting reasons but that would be imposed due to marketing/brand reasons. I think Di Maria for example was a statement of intent by the club, and I don't believe he was ever a Van Gaal player. Falcao was a bizarre one, in that the player he used to be probably could've been great for the team, but he was finished by the time he arrived at OT. I think transfers like Herrera, Shaw, Blind, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Darmian, Martial and Memphis (though I'm a bit less sure about this one) are quite coherent, and I think the players he's promoted for the Academy also fit into this mould. So yeah, I do feel like there's a coherent approach overall, though of course it's not an exact science and transfer dealings are always a bit hit and miss.

Also, when I talk about legacy, I don't necessarily mean the next manager will come in and use the exact same set up and approach and of course he'll want to be his own man, but I think the discipline and the comfort with which the team keeps the ball will be hugely beneficial for the successor.

Now one aspect I find more interesting than whether or not LvG has a real philosophy (which to me is quite clear) is whether this philosophy is actually suited to the PL. More exactly, until we've found the ease to move the ball around quicker up front and more success in breaking teams down, I think it's going to be hard. I think in other leagues, like the Spanish or the German ones, from what I see, there's very few teams that will have the discipline or the will to spend 90 minutes defending around their box and trying to nick a goal from a set piece (I'm not even talking about teams set up to counter, loads of teams we've played this year barely even rely on that), whereas the PL has quite a few teams that know how to do this quite well. Which doesn't make the PL a better league than another, by the way, it's just that I'm starting to really have my doubts about whether the approach we have is actually adapted to the competition we're playing in.
 

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What do people feel now? I'm quite happy they didn't replace him with Mourinho in January, although that looks inevitable in the summer.

As for LvG, he's pretty much confirmed my view that he's an arrogant, past-it fraud.
 

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What do people feel now? I'm quite happy they didn't replace him with Mourinho in January, although that looks inevitable in the summer.

As for LvG, he's pretty much confirmed my view that he's an arrogant, past-it fraud.
Tend to agree with this which is why I was very happy to see United appoint him.

But I also tend to think that Ferguson has left behind such a disfunctional organisation that pretty much any Manager would struggle.

Ferguson spent 28 years molding Utd in his own image and his success ultimately gave him absolute power. Without completely rebuilding the structure of the organisation I'm not sure anyone was going to be able to ride a bike that had been, over time, custom built for Ferguson.

I am not convinced that appointing Mourinho will solve these problems. My hunch is that it won't and Utd will continue to thrash around making knee jerk decisions.

As an Arsenal fan this spectacle should make you nervous of the day that Wenger decides to call it quits. It will be fascinating to see if Arsenal make similar mistakes.
 
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Tommy

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Past it. Bang average (and that's being generous) first season, horrible second season.
 

Bob Loblaw

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Thought he'd be somewhat success, picking up a trophy or two before eventually leaving. Now...yeah I was wrong, he's done an abysmal job and how he's still Man Utd manager is anyone's guess.
 

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What do people feel now? I'm quite happy they didn't replace him with Mourinho in January, although that looks inevitable in the summer.

As for LvG, he's pretty much confirmed my view that he's an arrogant, past-it fraud.
not necessarily a fraud but he's behind the times and can't adapt to modern football. says it all when opposition fans are happy that their opposition hasn't sacked their manager and rightly so.

arrogant and stubborn, yes. worst part is he can't back up his arrogance and stubbornness with performances on the pitch so it makes him look even more like an asshole.
 

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Tend to agree with this which is why I was very happy to see United appoint him.

But I also tend to think that Ferguson has left behind such a disfunctional organisation that pretty much any Manager would struggle.

Ferguson spent 28 years molding Utd in his own image and his success ultimately gave him absolute power. Without completely rebuilding the structure of the organisation I'm not sure anyone was going to be able to ride a bike that had been, over time, custom built for Ferguson.

I am not convinced that appointing Mourinho will solve these problems. My hunch is that it won't and Utd will continue to thrash around making knee jerk decisions.

As an Arsenal fan this spectacle should make you nervous of the day that Wenger decides to call it quits. It will be fascinating to see if Arsenal make similar mistakes.
Hard to disagree with that, to be fair.
 

Enigma_87

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Tend to agree with this which is why I was very happy to see United appoint him.

But I also tend to think that Ferguson has left behind such a disfunctional organisation that pretty much any Manager would struggle.

Ferguson spent 28 years molding Utd in his own image and his success ultimately gave him absolute power. Without completely rebuilding the structure of the organisation I'm not sure anyone was going to be able to ride a bike that had been, over time, custom built for Ferguson.

I am not convinced that appointing Mourinho will solve these problems. My hunch is that it won't and Utd will continue to thrash around making knee jerk decisions.

As an Arsenal fan this spectacle should make you nervous of the day that Wenger decides to call it quits. It will be fascinating to see if Arsenal make similar mistakes.
Knee jerk decisions? More likely retarded decisions if you ask me.

It's quite opposite. If that was the case Moyes should've been gone 4 months into the job and LvG should have been gone 3 months ago as well.

United need to comply with the times we're into right now. If the manager sucks at what he is supposed to do he should get the sack.

This we're not sacking club and we should give mediocrity more time is getting on my tits. We waited to see if Moyes can turn it around - that went well, still waiting to see if LvG can turn it around - heading for even bigger disaster than compared to Moyes.

So yeah I can't see any issue with recycling a few managers until we find someone that will fit in.
 

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I can only contrast LVG passively sitting in the dugout - scribbling endless notes and looking quite vacant and faintly bemused - with the recent video of Pochettino joining the Spurs players on the pitch after last weekend's win over Man. City, when they all went over to applaud the Spurs fans. He was hugging his players, searching out each one to warmly congratulate them, roaring "Yes, Yes, Yes!"

The demonstration of unity and player-manager team spirit was really impressive.

Worlds apart ...
 

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Ferguson spent 28 years molding Utd in his own image and his success ultimately gave him absolute power. Without completely rebuilding the structure of the organisation I'm not sure anyone was going to be able to ride a bike that had been, over time, custom built for Ferguson.
This is a fairly astute observation, and part of the reason why a fixation with long term appointments might not be the best idea around - especially in modern football (with mega-squads and copious amounts of money available to the elite opposition) where not every manager is afforded the time to develop, or completely shape a club in his image; and even if he does shape the club in his image, there's a substantial chance that it might not work over the long hall - which is another often underrated point - longevity being a product of success in the upper echelons of the sporting world - not the other way around. Then there's a massive risk involved with the appointment itself - while looking for handpicked 'stable' choices, you might actually rule out the best available candidates - going strictly by the resume - which is what might have happened with the Moyes appointment I suspect, unless one ascribes to the narrative that we tried and failed to attract all of our top choices.

Then, there's no guarantee with how long the 'long term appointment' might actually last - surviving for a decade if not more is not everyone's cup of tea, and very few if any managers these days can adapt season in - and season out, and evolve - much like Fergie did, or to a lesser extent - Wenger. And if said manager does last for that amount of time, the club's chain of command starts resembling a monarchical order (of sorts) where one man accumulates supreme levels of power, and every road leads to him, and it can be a tenuously balanced house of cards situation once he leaves, if for no other reason - then purely because of the power void created in his absence.

Which is why building a comprehensive behind the scenes infrastructure, topping the squad with elite players, and appointing accomplished/ proven/ well traveled - or well versed with the 'ideology' (like Enrique) type head coaches is in vogue with the biggest European clubs these days, most prominent among them - Barcelona and Bayern who might (and kind of do) succeed even with continual change at the manageria' position - by and large, or even City if their blueprint takes off on the European stage. And in a way it's more aligned with democracy - medium term tenures with a legislative assembly (technical/ sporting directors) backing the main man and providing a structure to the system with dedicated roles, instead of one person ruling over the long haul.
 

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I didn't understand the hoopla over Van Gaal the summer he was hired. When Ferguson retired, his name was not brought up as a potential candidate at all. I don't think we were interested until Tottenham started the process of looking into bringing LVG over (after Moyes was let go).
 

DWelbz19

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I can only contrast LVG passively sitting in the dugout - scribbling endless notes and looking quite vacant and faintly bemused - with the recent video of Pochettino joining the Spurs players on the pitch after last weekend's win over Man. City, when they all went over to applaud the Spurs fans. He was hugging his players, searching out each one to warmly congratulate them, roaring "Yes, Yes, Yes!"

The demonstration of unity and player-manager team spirit was really impressive.

Worlds apart ...
Could you really not have posted your opinion about Van Gaal without shoving a Spurs-related mini lovefest in there?
 

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Could you really not have posted your opinion about Van Gaal without shoving a Spurs-related mini lovefest in there?
The man makes a fair point. Compared to some other managers, LVG just looks...bored. It's possible this could be his last job, and it's showing. I think he was only half-interested when he came, expected the interest would soon come, but became more disillusioned and bored when it didn't. He's now just waiting to be paid off, I reckon.

Pochettino's a fair example of someone who's just got a bit of a positive vibe, has ambition, and seems to actually like managing a football team. Ranieri's another similar example this season.
 

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I didn't understand the hoopla over Van Gaal the summer he was hired. When Ferguson retired, his name was not brought up as a potential candidate at all. I don't think we were interested until Tottenham started the process of looking into bringing LVG over (after Moyes was let go).
I'd assume everyone expected him to carry on with the Netherlands until the World Cup. Wasn't much point in him abandoning them halfway through a qualifying tournament.

Not to mention that the options were arguably a lot more vast that summer. Mourinho and Guardiola were both available at certain points (although Pep might have agreed to go to Bayern), and I'm not even sure that Ancelotti was a concrete choice for the Real job.

LVG was a decent appointment at first because after the Moyes debacle, we were glad to have someone in charge with a modicum of footballing pedigree and success.
 

moses

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I have no idea either, yet.
I can only contrast LVG passively sitting in the dugout - scribbling endless notes and looking quite vacant and faintly bemused - with the recent video of Pochettino joining the Spurs players on the pitch after last weekend's win over Man. City, when they all went over to applaud the Spurs fans. He was hugging his players, searching out each one to warmly congratulate them, roaring "Yes, Yes, Yes!"

The demonstration of unity and player-manager team spirit was really impressive.

Worlds apart ...
zzzzzzzzzzzzz
 

Chesterlestreet

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I am not convinced that appointing Mourinho will solve these problems. My hunch is that it won't and Utd will continue to thrash around making knee jerk decisions.
That could very well be. However, one way to look at our "structure" is that there is no significant "structure" on the football side beyond the manager himself. If we hire a good manager, I don't think the "structure" will be a hindrance to him necessarily.

It's a problem in the long run, however, because a proper and actual structure is a safeguard of sorts. It allows you to maintain a certain course independently of whoever happens to be the manager. So, yes, we should look into that. But right now, Mourinho is just another manager we can hire or not, depending on what we consider smart or necessary. He isn't "right" or "wrong" in light of a grander restructuring of the organization which has to take place regardless of any short-term appointment.

The worry - or one worry - for United fans is that the owners are actively pushing the idea that it's possible to hire another Fergie, i.e. someone who will stick around for years and be successful more often than not - and that they prioritize the rather hopeless hunt for such a person over the restructuring business.
 

GlastonSpur

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Could you really not have posted your opinion about Van Gaal without shoving a Spurs-related mini lovefest in there?
Well, yes, I could have. But in this case the contrast that I illustrated is instructive I feel: Pochettino comes over as a hands-on, enthusiastic head coach, with a strong and warm relationship to his players ... in contrast to LVGs seemingly remote, cold and passive demeanour.

It looks like - on the surface at least - that Pochettino's players give their all for him, whilst Man. United's players look dispirited and uninspired. Isn't that a fair comment?
 

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I was pretty disappointed after the Moyes era that Utd got LVG. I thought he'd be a very good manager for you based on what he's done elsewhere. He got you back in the Top 4 and you were all pretty confident of top 4 again if not, a title push.
Needless to say, I'm now very happy with him and hoping he stays with you beyond this summer but I can't see it
 

Adisa

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Well, yes, I could have. But in this case the contrast that I illustrated is instructive I feel: Pochettino comes over as a hands-on, enthusiastic head coach, with a strong and warm relationship to his players ... in contrast to LVGs seemingly remote, cold and passive demeanour.

It looks like - on the surface at least - that Pochettino's players give their all for him, whilst Man. United's players look dispirited and uninspired. Isn't that a fair comment?
Imagine how disheartening it must be waking up each morning know your going to meet Luis Van Gaal.
The fans are sick of him. I imagine the players can't wait for him to leave.
The way he looked in the final ten minutes of yesterday's game was a disgrace. He had a look of "this will soon not be my problem anymore".
 

Polite Poster

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Knee jerk decisions? More likely retarded decisions if you ask me.

It's quite opposite. If that was the case Moyes should've been gone 4 months into the job and LvG should have been gone 3 months ago as well.

United need to comply with the times we're into right now. If the manager sucks at what he is supposed to do he should get the sack.

This we're not sacking club and we should give mediocrity more time is getting on my tits. We waited to see if Moyes can turn it around - that went well, still waiting to see if LvG can turn it around - heading for even bigger disaster than compared to Moyes.

So yeah I can't see any issue with recycling a few managers until we find someone that will fit in.
Knee jerk is perhaps incorrect. But to me it looks like United have been trying to solve a problem when they (the management) do not actually understand what the problem is.

The first thing they need to do is fully understand the problem which as I have already said I think is an organisation built by and for one man who has now retired.

An analogy which might fit is that of Casey Stoner who rode a Ducati Moto GP bike to a World Title in 2007. Nobody, not even Valentino Rossi, considered by many to be the greatest rider of all time could get anywhere near what Stoner achieved on the Ducati.

This is how I see Utd. The machine needs to be redesigned to make it rideable by a wider variety of people. But so far United have appointed 2 different riders who have not been able to ride the bike and now United fans want them to appoint another in the hope he will be able to master it. Looks like the definition of madness to me.

Disclaimer - I am not a Moto GP expert and the analogy may not be strictly accurate but hopefully you get my point.
 

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Knee jerk is perhaps incorrect. But to me it looks like United have been trying to solve a problem when they (the management) do not actually understand what the problem is.

The first thing they need to do is fully understand the problem which as I have already said I think is an organisation built by and for one man who has now retired.

An analogy which might fit is that of Casey Stoner who rode a Ducati Moto GP bike to a World Title in 2007. Nobody, not even Valentino Rossi, considered by many to be the greatest rider of all time could get anywhere near what Stoner achieved on the Ducati.

This is how I see Utd. The machine needs to be redesigned to make it rideable by a wider variety of people. But so far United have appointed 2 different riders who have not been able to ride the bike and now United fans want them to appoint another in the hope he will be able to master it. Looks like the definition of madness to me.

Disclaimer - I am not a Moto GP expert and the analogy may not be strictly accurate but hopefully you get my point.
I have never heard of Casey Stoner and wouldn't know a Ducati Moto if it ran me over but I like the analogy. Your claim to be a City fan is so at odds with the eminently sensible and intelligent nature of the 4 posts I've read by you that I choose not to believe it.
 

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I have never heard of Casey Stoner and wouldn't know a Ducati Moto if it ran me over but I like the analogy. Your claim to be a City fan is so at odds with the eminently sensible and intelligent nature of the 4 posts I've read by you that I choose not to believe it.
I appreciate your compliment but refuse to believe that you are a United fan. You exhibit far too much judgement and perception for that to be true ;)

Been a City fan for 50 years and so our current position is most welcome from my point of view :D If a little overdue :lol:
 

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I can only contrast LVG passively sitting in the dugout - scribbling endless notes and looking quite vacant and faintly bemused - with the recent video of Pochettino joining the Spurs players on the pitch after last weekend's win over Man. City, when they all went over to applaud the Spurs fans. He was hugging his players, searching out each one to warmly congratulate them, roaring "Yes, Yes, Yes!"

The demonstration of unity and player-manager team spirit was really impressive.

Worlds apart ...
To think that we hijacked Van Gaal from under Tottenham's grasp. This must be that much sweeter to you aye?
 

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Knee jerk is perhaps incorrect. But to me it looks like United have been trying to solve a problem when they (the management) do not actually understand what the problem is.

The first thing they need to do is fully understand the problem which as I have already said I think is an organisation built by and for one man who has now retired.

An analogy which might fit is that of Casey Stoner who rode a Ducati Moto GP bike to a World Title in 2007. Nobody, not even Valentino Rossi, considered by many to be the greatest rider of all time could get anywhere near what Stoner achieved on the Ducati.

This is how I see Utd. The machine needs to be redesigned to make it rideable by a wider variety of people. But so far United have appointed 2 different riders who have not been able to ride the bike and now United fans want them to appoint another in the hope he will be able to master it. Looks like the definition of madness to me.

Disclaimer - I am not a Moto GP expert and the analogy may not be strictly accurate but hopefully you get my point.
But tell me then. if United as an organisation is so at odds with everyone else and has so many problems, explain to me how our internal structure or machine as you put it, differs or is inferior to other clubs in England and abroad?
 

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But tell me then. if United as an organisation is so at odds with everyone else and has so many problems, explain to me how our internal structure or machine as you put it, differs or is inferior to other clubs in England and abroad?
I am an outsider putting 2 and 2 together but to me it is a logical conclusion given the success and power of Alex Ferguson. Other clubs have not had this long period of one man shaping the organisation and so have evolved in different ways.

But we are not really comparing United with other clubs but with the United of Ferguson because it is the success of that era against which all other will be judged.
 

ArmandTamzarian

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As a character I kind of like him, he gives zero fecks and treats the media with appropriate disdain, he is past it though I'm sure the kind of football he wants United to play would be good to watch if he was able to get it going at a faster pace and with a bit more urgency but for whatever reasons it just hasn't worked. United are in a bit of a 'stick or twist' situation now but I think cutting losses about this season and trying to get a better pick in the summer will probably be a smarter move than appointing someone now
 

B20

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He's been worse than I thought - I expected him to burn his bridges in season 3 and not this bad. Still, I'd take him over Moyes any day of the week. Moyes was comedy for me, the way he tried to con the fans and lower expectations and mentality to his comfort zone.

Moyes thinks like a loser. For all his flaws, Van Gaal thinks and acts like someone who belongs at a top club. For that alone, he will leave the club in far better shape than moyes could have.

I don't think he is as bad as he is delivering. I think he could even turn it around for you. Problem is, he's not turning out to be the great bridge between moyes and the next guy people thought as there are few managers out there who would build on what he's made. Guardiola and maybe Ancelotti but.... Pochettino maybe?

Mourinho is going to want to tear it up and start again if he comes. Has little to work with to suit him in this side.
 
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Perrick Dubois

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This is a fairly astute observation, and part of the reason why a fixation with long term appointments might not be the best idea around - especially in modern football (with mega-squads and copious amounts of money available to the elite opposition) where not every manager is afforded the time to develop, or completely shape a club in his image; and even if he does shape the club in his image, there's a substantial chance that it might not work over the long hall - which is another often underrated point - longevity being a product of success in the upper echelons of the sporting world - not the other way around. Then there's a massive risk involved with the appointment itself - while looking for handpicked 'stable' choices, you might actually rule out the best available candidates - going strictly by the resume - which is what might have happened with the Moyes appointment I suspect, unless one ascribes to the narrative that we tried and failed to attract all of our top choices.
The fixation comes from the idea of having to either change the manager to fit the existing "one man controls all" infrastructure or change the infrastructure to encompass a revolving door manager scenario. If we were to start changing the infrastructure right now (or even back when SAF left) I think it is going to take a serious amount of time. 5 years at the minimum. That is probably why we want to try to find the right component to plug into the infrastructure rather than change everything. Part of it ties into my argument of why Van Gaal hasn't been sacked yet, the scope of the business behind the footballing forefront in my opinion is a bit mind blowing in scale. Something we can't just kick over at a whim and start again.
 

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I'm surprised he's still in charge to be honest. There is such a loud outcry from the fans to sack him that you'd expect that to be enough. Maybe he's lucky that the only proper, attainable alternative to him is someone that some of the higher ups at United seem to have doubts over.

Given the amount of resources he's been given and the players at his disposal, the minimum United should be achieving is top four and that's still not really good enough. Whoever comes in is probably going to want to change things up again but at least there are a few very good young players to work with, many of which Van Gaal has given experience to over the last 18 months.

He'll be sacked by the summer at the latest. I don't see any way that he can start next season as United manager.
 

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To think that we hijacked Van Gaal from under Tottenham's grasp. This must be that much sweeter to you aye?
I guess in some way...LVG laid the foundations for Spurs success too by allowing himself to be hijacked
 

Wade3

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Tend to agree with this which is why I was very happy to see United appoint him.

But I also tend to think that Ferguson has left behind such a disfunctional organisation that pretty much any Manager would struggle.

Ferguson spent 28 years molding Utd in his own image and his success ultimately gave him absolute power. Without completely rebuilding the structure of the organisation I'm not sure anyone was going to be able to ride a bike that had been, over time, custom built for Ferguson.


I am not convinced that appointing Mourinho will solve these problems. My hunch is that it won't and Utd will continue to thrash around making knee jerk decisions.

As an Arsenal fan this spectacle should make you nervous of the day that Wenger decides to call it quits. It will be fascinating to see if Arsenal make similar mistakes.
I strongly disagree with the bolded part and frankly take it as a simple opportunity to have a dig at SAF (and a dig at the practice of keeping managers over a long tenure since that is not really the case at City) because your assumption is not supported by any evidence other than our lack of success since his retirement.

The core issue of our struggles lays with the decision making since the Glazers have taken over the club. Unlike many other owners, their only goal with our club is to maintain and increase profitability. In a sense, SAF's brilliant abilities as a manager "hurt" the club in the long-term because he was able to guide teams to a title that had no business winning it. The holes in our squads were glaringly obvious and became more and more obvious as the years went on. The reason for that, however, is not Ferguson, it was the Glazers' unwillingness to invest as long as we were regularly winning titles and participiating in the CL. It gave off the impression that everything at United was fine when it really wasn't.

That only became obvious when not only SAF left us, but David Gill left along with him. The appointment of Ed Woodward, in a sense, is a prime example of the Glazers' motivation. Woodward is a brilliant business man when it comes to promoting our brand and negotiating sponsoring deals. Football wise, he's hardly any of that. Additionally, we appointed a manager that was in no way, shape or form capable of managing a club at the level we are at.

So to summarize we had:
- An unbalanced roster, which was no fault of Ferguson other than him still winning titles with it and thus allowing the Glazers to be stingy.
- An inexperienced coach who was just not suited for the job he was given.
- An executive vice-chairman with limited abilities in the transfer market.

The incompetence of Moyes and Woodward really showed early when we made Rooney, a guy Ferguson was rightfully prepared to let go, one of the highest paid players in the world. While he may still be a player that generates a great amount of income, his performances on the pitch hardly justified his salary at the time we gave it to him and it hasn't gotten any better since.
With a competent manager, the entire summer of 2013 could've gone about differently. Instead, Moyes and Woodward were chasing big names and failing miserably in their pursuits, resulting in only overpaying for Marouane Fellaini. None of that has anything to do with SAF.

Then van Gaal, a manager who has had lots of success, but just as many failures, particularly in the latter stages of his career, was appointed. Once again seemingly unlimited funds were available and while the roster was overhauled and marginally improved, it still lacks balance. It simply comes down to poor decision making by LVG and Woodward and poor coaching by LVG himself, whose stubbornness in the past has cost him his job at other large, presitigious clubs who ended up failing miserably, just ask Bayern or Barcelona. And to reiterate my point, none of that has anything to do with SAF and his past at our club.
 

Oo0AahCantona

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Tend to agree with this which is why I was very happy to see United appoint him.

But I also tend to think that Ferguson has left behind such a disfunctional organisation that pretty much any Manager would struggle.

Ferguson spent 28 years molding Utd in his own image and his success ultimately gave him absolute power. Without completely rebuilding the structure of the organisation I'm not sure anyone was going to be able to ride a bike that had been, over time, custom built for Ferguson.

I am not convinced that appointing Mourinho will solve these problems. My hunch is that it won't and Utd will continue to thrash around making knee jerk decisions.

As an Arsenal fan this spectacle should make you nervous of the day that Wenger decides to call it quits. It will be fascinating to see if Arsenal make similar mistakes.
In your view what would the solution be? if not the only ready made silverware winning manager available.
 

Hemil

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When LVG was appointed, United fans thought they had got the messiah. When he subbed the goalkeeper during the penalty shootout, they thought he is a tactical genius. Then, the success of Barca and Bayern of all these years was attributed to LVG's terms there. Most United fans where thanking their stars and God for getting a top 5 manager in the world (even though LVG had not won a major league title or a European title for years). And then all came crashing down.

The appointment of LVG sure was met with joy by United fans but it never was hated or annoying for opposition fans. That alone should set the bell ringings that the appointment was the wrong one.