There was an aura of hope surrounding Louis Van Gaal’s appointment as Manchester United manager following the team’s slump from the pinnacle of English football in the David Moyes era.
The Dutch tactician had a relatively good start to life at Old Trafford as he got Red Devils back into the fold of Champions League in his debut season.
However, eyebrows were with his pre-season signings as United spent well over £100million on a variety of players, most of whom have failed to deliver’.
Van Gaal’s summer recruitments were evidently not enough to see United advance to the next stages of the Champions League as they were knockout out by Wolfsburg in early November.
United’s frailties in the Premier League began to manifest themselves at the midway point of the season as the Red Devils went on a poor run of form that saw them win just once in six League outings.
Van Gaal’s unorthodox methods have left the United players disgruntled with their manager although their recent victory against Swansea suggests that there is a breath of fresh air around Old Trafford, the question is how long will it last?
Surely Van Gaal knows that it will take more than just one triumph against a relegation threatened side to win back the hearts of United fans. To win over the hearts and a place amongst the top clubs, he needs to attain a level of consistency in the longer run.
1. Create Harmony Amongst Players and Coach
Van Gaal needs to get inclined with his players and show a bit more passion in the way he handles United.
2. Sign Some Marquee Players in January
With the January transfer window already underway, LVG needs to bring in a couple of Marquee signings that can lead the charge for the Red Devils and recent transfer targets Felipe Anderson and Lucas Moura might just be the players to do so.
3. Take The Next Game “Very Seriously.”
A win against Newcastle in United’s next Premier League fixture would definitely mean that the glory days are right around the corner, but an adverse result would put LVG under massive pressure and could inevitably lead to his sacking, depending on the Board’s decision.
4. Fergie Style is United’s Legacy
One other thing Van Gaal will have to do is to undergo a complete reorientation of United’s tactical setup in a bid to create something similar to when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge.
Fergie still remains a significant part of the United hierarchy so it would be quite easy for LVG to make some references to the style of play that saw United become the most dominant force in English football.
5. Smoothen Relation With Media
Proper interaction with the media could also do United some good as Van Gaal’s rigorous approach to the media doesn’t seem to be doing anyone any good.
