Are Louis van Gaal’s criticisms of Man Utd and Mourinho valid?

After initially keeping his counsel over his Manchester United reign, Louis van Gaal has spoken out with increasing regularity in recent months, regarding what he views as a betrayal and an unjustified sacking. Does he have a point? Let’s have a look at what he’s claimed…

 

“If you ask me how did I do at United, I will say it was my best year ever, given the circumstances I was working under.

“We played football that was quite alright. But it’s not football that is appreciated in England. And yet, right now, looking at United, I have to conclude Mourinho is not being criticised while it’s far more boring football.

“I would rather watch City play than United. You need quality in a squad and it’s clear City have a better squad.

“What United produce now is defensive football. I always played attacking football. The proof is that the opposition were always parking the bus. They don’t do that now because Jose Mourinho plays so defensive” – December 2017

“Given the circumstances I was working under.” Let’s start with that one.

Van Gaal arrived at Manchester United when, after David Moyes’ disastrous year, expectations had not been lower in decades. He was allowed to spend almost £250million but overall, he failed to improve those prospects by the time he was replaced. Van Gaal was not a manager operating with his hands tied behind his back. Whatever he wanted, within the realms of realism, he pretty much got.

To suggest his United side played football ‘that is quite alright but not appreciated in England’ is bang on the money. Perhaps his philosophy is appreciated more on the continent. Heck, it would have been tolerated at Old Trafford if it led to results. It didn’t. United fans were being exposed to a dull, monotonous style that brought results as mediocre as the fare they were being made to suffer. That formula isn’t likely to be accepted at any big club.

“I have to conclude Mourinho is not being criticised while it’s far more boring football.”

“Mourinho is not being criticised”? Presumably Van Gaal doesn’t read the papers, watch the television or have an internet connection in the Algarve.

If he did, he would “rather watch City” these days. City would compare favourably to almost any opponent in the world right now, so that’s fair comment. But it really is not a stick to beat Mourinho with. And in comparison to his United side? Most people would prefer to watch Brian Horton’s City, let alone Pep Guardiola’s.

“What United produce now is defensive football. I always played attacking football.”

Mourinho’s United have played defensive football. At Liverpool, he was rightly pilloried, and his approach against Sevilla was as baffling as it was negligent. But those matches aren’t necessarily a true reflection of United’s overall approach.

During his 68 Premier League matches in charge, Mourinho’s United have outperformed Van Gaal’s final-season side in almost every attacking metric. More goals, more shots, more shots on target, more big chances created, more fast breaks.

Van Gaal’s team shade possession, with United ‘enjoying’ 58.5 per cent of the ball during his final year, compared to Mourinho’s team controlling 55.6 per cent since the start of last season. But United set a new club record for the fewest goals scored in a Premier League season by netting just 49 in the Dutchman’s final year. The Red Devils are already nine ahead of that tally with eight games to play.

But, statistics aside, when Mourinho doesn’t panic, United are simply a more enjoyable side to watch compared to the two years during which Van Gaal kept the handbrake on at all times.

“I will probably not manage a club anymore. I would make one exception: if a big English club comes for me, than I would do it. Because then I can get the chance to get one over on Manchester United” – December 2017

Van Gaal’s ego, like that of many managers, would never allow him to recognise it, but would any of United’s top six rivals offer him the opportunity to imprint his philosophy on their club? No. The turgid fare at Old Trafford during his two years saw to that.

“I wanted to sign Hummels for Manchester United. But because at that time he was coming out of a poorer season, we didn’t do it in the end.

“I can confirm that I wanted Muller. But there was nothing we could do. Bayern made it clear that they would not sell him” – February 2018

The choice not to sign Hummels was presumably Van Gaal’s, which highlights his mistake and only his. The Germany defender was linked with United when Van Gaal first arrived but they could not offer Champions League football, which the former Borussia Dortmund centre-half has previously stipulated is one condition of any move. A year later when they could, they opted not to pursue him, with Van Gaal deciding Daley Blind was a better bet at centre-back. A year beyond that, United were without Champions League football again, with Hummels confirmed as joining Bayern on the day Van Gaal watched his side lose 3-2 at West Ham to condemn them to a year in the Europa League.

Maybe Van Gaal did want to sign Muller. Maybe he wanted Lionel Messi. It’s an easy claim to make when you know there’s no chance of it happening. And anyway, that’s David Moyes’ signature move.

The players he did sign? It’s largely a transfer sh*t-list. Around £85million went on Angel di Maria and Memphis Depay,  while the Sch-midfield of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger turned out to be sch-ite. The only one of Van Gaal’s 13 recruits still to be a first-team regular is Anthony Martial – though Marcos Rojo might argue that claim. In the main, if Van Gaal’s signings weren’t terrible, they were bang average.

“Schweinsteiger was older, of course, but not too old. Still, his body was not able to keep up with the high demands of the Premier League. Bayern sold him to us as a fit player, but, in reality, physically he had reached the end.

“How Mourinho treated him after me, Schweini did not deserve this. But it also explains how things were with Schweinsteiger. It’s a shame because he is a player like Luis Enrique, Mark van Bommel or Philipp Lahm, a character always present on the pitch” –  February 2018

It is no surprise that Van Gaal spoke up for Schweinsteiger while sticking the boot into Mourinho, who performed a U-turn when he recognised that his initial show of  force was perhaps misjudged.

Van Gaal is widely credited for the Germany midfielder’s ascent at Bayern Munich and it was hoped his leadership would be a driving influence in the United squad, Instead, senior players became exasperated as Schweinsteiger was allowed to ‘take the piss’ during his injury lay-off, flying in for matches for long enough to be able to tweet about it, before scarpering back to the airport. Schweinsteiger was seen as a key figure in Van Gaal’s rebuild but as the manager admits, he was already finished. At least while Mourinho exiled him from training, as Van Gaal did with Victor Valdes, Schweinsteiger was motivated to keep working to prove him wrong, rather than swan off as he did under the previous boss.

“Manchester United, who I last coached, is a commercial club. Totally different to Bayern. The bosses, like Karl Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness, are former players who know what they are talking about.

“Football is the most important thing, not money like it is now at United. That’s why I love Bayern” – February 2018

It’s hard, perhaps impossible, to argue with the fact that United have become a commercially-driven business more than a football club and a lot of fans will nod along to Van Gaal’s criticism.

But Van Gaal does not specify how that focus hampered him during his reign. Unpalatable though it may be, another new official club tractor or feature film partner made no difference to his job and subsequent failure.

“I developed the digital tracker with my IT man. Each player was able to log in. So I gave everyone the opportunity to prepare for the conversation with me at home and to meet me in dialogue at eye level.”

Van Gaal confirmed that the players often failed to respond to his messages: “That’s true, too. But this testifies to their lack of professionalism and I have then addressed them.

“But I already did that with the emails at Bayern. My conviction is that a full professional also wants to live professionally. Like Arjen Robben. He read the emails” – February 2018

Ah, the players. They have to take their share of responsibility for United’s struggles since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. They have encountered some poor management but they remain the common denominator throughout three different reigns. The squad’s attitude has too often reflected poorly on them.

Van Gaal reverted to communicating his concerns via email after Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney approached him to suggest that bawling out players in front of team-mates during his video analysis sessions was perhaps not having the intended effect.

But most footballers aren’t daft. Soft, maybe, though most recognise a leader when they meet one and the United squad had long since tired of Van Gaal’s micromanagement before he was finally shown the door.

The players enjoyed Van Gaal’s rigid philosophy as much as the supporters. They were reportedly instructed never to shoot first time when the ball was coming across goal, and wingers were told not to take on their man, rather wait for an overlapping full-back or pass inside. With such advice dropping into their inboxes, perhaps it is no surprise that the players learned to open the emails before leaving their phone alone for long enough to give the impression the contents had been read.

No-one comes out of this particular gripe of Van Gaal’s with any credit – except perhaps Arjen Robben. But more than moan about the players’ digital habits, the trainer-coach might want to chew over why they were on the brink of mutiny by the time he left.

“I am not disappointed with Jose Mourinho. Every coach wants to train Manchester United, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. 

“I think Jose wanted that, too, and although he was able to do so in 13th place, he had a chance on a fantastic team like Chelsea. I was in fourth place! I still do not blame him.

“What I find wrong is when a CEO says we’re totally happy with you, do not believe the press. Then you win the FA Cup and still be fired” – March 2018

There is absolutely no doubt that Woodward and United handled Van Gaal’s exit with a lack of class and dignity. But for all the reasons stated and more, there is absolutely no doubt that it was the correct decision.

“Pep Guardiola is, for me, currently the best coach of the Premier League. Pep made City a machine.

“He shows a football that I would have liked to play at Manchester United. But he has better players for it. For me, the process would have taken longer. Unfortunately, I did not get the time” – March 2018

Van Gaal could have been given until the end of time, he still would not have got close to replicating the football that Guardiola has brought to Manchester City. Both managers rely on a possession-based style, and Van Gaal also tried to make United ‘a machine’, but that is where the similarities end. City’s exhilarating pace is in direct contrast to the slow, ponderous, methodical, choreographed style that Van Gaal enacted at Old Trafford.

Indeed, Guardiola does have better players. He bought plenty, as did Van Gaal. But the City boss has improved almost every player under his watch. Van Gaal bettered Chris Smalling.

Ian Watson