When Louis Van Gaal was appointed as Manchester Unitednmanager, some Dutch journalists wrote lengthy articles warning the English press to expect fireworks and portraying him as arrogant, aggressive and unpredictable.
He has been more like a cuddly teddy bear since his appointment but that explosive side of his character started to creep through on Sunday when he was asked why, after spending over €180 million last summer, he has the same return of points as David Moyes after 21 games last season.
"So you have waited until this moment when you can put this question to me," Van Gaal said. "All these weeks, you have waited to put this question, the moment I have the same points as David Moyes, that I haven’t made the team better."
His answer, more than anything, pointed to an insecurity in Van Gaal.
The general perception of his time in charge so far has been that United have improved, that Van Gaal has settled a fractious dressing room, greatly improved the squad (at considerable cost) and introduced a style more in keeping with the club’s traditions.
But as 75,000 at Old Trafford watched United desperately hoof the ball up to Marouane Fellaini in the final moments of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton, the reality check must have hit home.
It was a Moyesian nightmare and a wake-up call for a manager and group of players that have arrogantly been talking up a possible title challenge with no foundation whatsoever.
source: goal.com
No comments:
Post a Comment