Manchester United: Van Gaal’s Reign Riddled with Failure
When he leaves Manchester United, Louis van Gaal will be remembered for his failures rather than his successes.
Manchester United will likely be forced to part ways with Louis van Gaal at the end of the season as a result of his failure to meet the minimal objectives.
The Dutch manager has one last opportunity to obtain a trophy before this season draws to a close when United face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. But the taste of silverware, should he secure it, will already have been soured by the team’s finish of 5th in the League. Everything that was supposed to come together this season – Van Gaal’s philosophy, player choices, etc. – has only resulted in the club’s second worst ever points total in the Premier League.
Last year, the Dutchman met the minimum goal of qualifying for the Champions League. For a team of Manchester United’s size and fortitude, finishing in the top four is an absolute minimum. It’s the reason David Moyes was sacked before his first season concluded, and the same reason Van Gaal was subsequently appointed to stop the decline.
Having qualified for the competition, however, he failed to do anything with it. Manchester United was in a group where they surely could have progressed to the knockout stages, but they couldn’t come up with the points to do so. Then in the Europa League, they needed two legs to confirm an advance past FC Midtjylland before unceremoniously being dispatched by rivals Liverpool.
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In domestic play, the Red Devils hardly fared any better. Teams like Norwich, Sunderland, and Newcastle – relegation candidates for most of the season – all managed points against the Mancunians, a feat that was previously unheard of. Every time the club had a chance to move into the top four and every time they failed, the manager would pick out some excuse – too many matches in too short a span, injuries piling up, etc.
Even with the chance for success in the upcoming cup final, this squad has shown minimal signs of progression. Aside from Anthony Martial and Daley Blind, his signings have generally underachieved. For a few players, how much of that can be blamed on the manager is a question of serious debate – should Schneiderlin or Memphis have been afforded more opportunities?
But for others, the manager either made the wrong decision in signing them or used them in the wrong position. See Marcos Rojo or Radamel Falcao as an example of the former and Angel di Maria as an example of the latter.
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The manager’s only contribution to the club’s future will likely be his involvement of youth in the team, but even that positive is more the result of fortune than deliberation. In the summer transfer window, Van Gaal ousted numerous players from the team, some with the backing of supporters and some without. But regardless of the warrant for the departures, he made fewer additions and weakened the squad’s ability to cope with injuries.
When the run of knocks hit its peak in the winter months, albeit more severe than anyone could have predicted, the academy players answered the call. The former Barcelona manager asserted it was his plan all along, to use the team’s youth system to supplement the senior team in times of need. But would he have included the younger players if the situation hadn’t required it? His managerial history says yes, but his first season at United says otherwise.
And now, in light of all the turmoil and disappointment this season has brought, Van Gaal had the audacity to suggest that expectations were too high for Manchester United. The club simply cannot be expected to make the Champions League every season. Such thinking should alarm supporters if he’s to remain in charge for another year; the Reds could go the way of Liverpool and rest on their laurels rather than recent accomplishments.
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Unless something just short of a miracle happens and the Red Devils win the Premier League next season under Van Gaal, a failure to meet expectations will be the defining theme of his brief tenure. But don’t expect the manager to exit with grace; he’ll make his departure the same way he made his living in Manchester – by offering good excuses for poor performance.