Van Gaal Given a Stay of Execution

Nate Hyatt - Staff Writer - @NathanielHyatt

When Manchester United announced the hiring of then Dutch National Team Coach, Louis Van Gaal, the spirit of Red Mancunian’s, and Red Devil fans around the world, was as hopeful as a young lad on the night before Christmas. 34 Premier League games was all United could handle of David Moyes, and after losing at Everton in a lifeless display, the Scotsman’s fate was confirmed (even if it was leaked to the press before even he knew).

Van Gaal’s appointment was basically the complete opposite of the appointment of David Moyes. Although Moyes was not United’s first choice, or even 5th choice, to replace Sir Alex Ferguson (1st choice was Pep Guardiola), David Moyes was thought to possess the character deemed so important in a Manchester United manager. What they found out was his football was not. Van Gaal on the other hand was everything Moyes wasn’t – and it was just what United needed as the Ferguson retirement hangover was in full affect. 

Moyes had been handed a six year contract - a statement of United’s intent and belief in the Scotsman. Van Gaal a three year contract. His retirement was just around the corner and United would be his last assignment before retreating to his sunny hideaway in Portugal.

Van Gaal was tasked with clearing out the dead wood, rebuilding the squad, and getting United back into the Champions League – no small feat. One could say he accomplished all three of his predetermined tasks. It was never pretty, save for a 3 game stretch where wins against Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester City highlighted a 4-3-3 attacking display that Van Gaal had promised United fans was who he was and what he wanted. It has always seemed a struggle, even with the likes of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao added to Van Gaal’s new look squad. The former felt his talents weren’t being used correctly – they weren’t - while the latter never fully recovered from his knee injury though every United fan wanted him to. By hook or by crook United were 4^th in the Premier League and back in the Champions League.

The Dutchman’s second summer in charge saw a clear out of many of the remaining Ferguson players. As shocking as a terrible Christmas jumper, Van Gaal preferred a thin squad in the heavy English season and allowed players, young and old, to leave without replacing important pieces. He continued to ignore the need for a center back or two, a proven striker, and a replacement for the electric Di Maria. The frustration and confusion of United fans was palpable. Instead, the Iron Tulip chose to push forward through youth, something encouraged at Manchester United since before World War I. The purchase of Anthony Martial for a world record fee on deadline day shocked even the largest proponents of trust in youth. Letting the brightest of United’s youth sit on the bench or go away on loan, he preferred to use others and continued to keep faith in those who struggled.

In the Dutchman’s second season at United goals were rare and didn’t come easy, but results were going their way. Their standing in the league table kept the boo boys at bay, but only for a time. United would be found out eventually, but not until they had been decimated by injuries and knocked out of the Champions League that Van Gaal had been brought in to return them to. A stretch of matches in December turned out to be the straw that broke the camels back, or so most of the world thought. With United’s league leading defense stretched through injury and leaking goals, their easiest run of matches saw them lose three straight and draw against a poor Chelsea side at Old Trafford. A passionate, attacking display in the first half against Chelsea was apparently enough to warrant the Tulip continue in his post, even though no goals were scored and the match ended tamely, as is the norm these days on Sir Matt Busby Way.

In some places, the cries for Van Gaal’s job are deafening after no wins against teams in places 2^nd, 7^th, 9^th, 14^th, 15^th and 16^th in the league. But, there is a contingent of fans around the world, although that number is growing smaller by the day, who don’t want to see the manager fired. In an act of facing saving desperation, Ed Woodward has decided to seek to save his own job by encouraging Van Gaal to stay on even though the beleaguered manager has reportedly desired to quit at least twice in the past couple of months claiming to have no fixes for what is ailing his squad. The man who runs the biggest club in football can’t be seen to have failed on two straight managers now, can he?

As shocking as it may seem, and it is shocking, United have decided the display against Chelsea is enough for the manager to keep his job. No wins in 8 matches. Memphis Depay being the only player to have scored in front of the East Stand this season. Shots on goal are harder to come by than #LVGIn tweets on Twitter, but United has pressed on, and so must we all.