Grading Louis van Gaal’s first campaign – Part II
The 2014/15 season has come to a close for Manchester United and Louis van Gaal via a poor 0-0 draw at Hull City, but fans will be excited for the future.
Louis van Gaal, in his first year as manager, had a season of mixed emotions; we beat the top teams but lost to some of the worst, all the while debating over squad decisions and the like.
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In the next few days, the writers at Red Devil Armada will be grading Louis van Gaal’s first season with the club based on the final position in the league, tactics, and media handling.
Position – C+
At the start of the season, Ed Woodward announced that the objective would be to qualify for the Champions League. Van Gaal has achieved that goal, but by the finest of margins. After finishing fourth behind the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal, United will face a play-in game to even make the group stages. With the opponent potentially coming from La Liga, the Bundesliga, or any of the other European leagues, the match will not be an easy one.
The biggest issue I have with where we finished is the money spent to get there. In a blockbuster summer totaling upwards of £150m, van Gaal brought in talent in all areas of the squad. Most of the transfers paid off, but we overpaid for the few that didn’t pan out. Though the squad was definitely in need of change, that big of a transfer spree should have meant finishing second or third and avoiding the play-in.
In terms of the League Cup and the FA Cup, van Gaal’s squad provided mixed results. The 4-0 loss to MK Dons was tough to swallow. While the competition has lost meaning in recent years, progressing further would have meant more opportunities for youth players to get involved. Losing in the FA Cup to Arsenal might have felt even worse, particularly because it came down to defensive miscues. Winning a trophy would have been an added boost this season, despite it not being one of the set objectives.
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In every aspect of the season, the squad made things more difficult than they should have been. They dropped points early in the EPL to inferior opponents and struggled to beat lower league competition in the FA Cup. Still, having accomplished his objective, van Gaal gets a passing grade. The first season was always going to be trying for the Dutchman in terms of adapting to the competitiveness of the Premier League, and he’s responded fairly well. His squad fared well against the other top teams in the league, something that will be crucial for next season’s title push. All things considered, the Red Devils finished where they needed to and have inspired confidence of improvement going forward.
Tactics – C-
While Louis van Gaal accomplished his objectives, he certainly did not do it in the manner fans would have hoped. At times, supporters found themselves questioning his squad decisions, his fitness criteria, and especially his substitutions. Antonio Valencia played at right-back, Wayne Rooney played in the midfield, and at times Marouane Fellaini played as a striker. The substitutions he made seemed to break up whatever dynamic was working in the respective match: changing a defender and eventually conceding a goal as a result or changing the holding midfielder and disrupting the flow of passing, for instance.
In terms of formation, van Gaal stubbornly kept with the 3-5-2 for far too long, leading to a dismal start to the year. He experimented with players out of position in new formations, only creating extra havoc within the system. Eventually, after finally settling on a 4-3-3 setup, with two wingers and three central midfielders, the team seemed to synchronize. The Reds looked confident in possession and worked to win the ball back, typical of Dutch football and similar to Barcelona’s style.
It wasn’t all bleak though; the victories against Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester City late in the season showed what the squad could be capable of in the future. By securing the right talent in this transfer window, particularly a no. 6, van Gaal’s system could be highly prosperous for United.
Media – A-
Perhaps van Gaal’s best characteristic this season was his ability to handle the media and inspire the supporters. It wasn’t uncommon to see the manager making a joke during a press conference while still being frank with the reporters, both of which made him seem sincere and, as we often forget, human. Even better, unlike David Moyes a year ago, he looked comfortable answering tough questions. He looked like he belonged.
Overall Grade – B-
Perhaps it didn’t have the flair we hoped for, but all things considered, the mission was accomplished and the future looks bright.