21 Aug 2015 11:09:22
Just to be clear LVG hasn't won a trophy in five years, his last being with a Bayern team that went on to destroy everyone in its path the following season under a new regime and playing much better football. Folk will point to the fact 'he built that Bayern team and discovered the young stars' but that is untrue. That Bayern team is built by a group of hardcore fans who control the club and the fantastic youth system they have in place (and have had in place for years) is where the Thomas Mullers of that squad came from.

Before that his last major honour was winning La Liga with Barcelona eleven years prior before leaving them in a state of disarray. Sandwiched in amongst them is a title with AZ at a time when the Dutch league was and is still far from its peak ability wise. Yes LVG's time with Ajax -where he was lucky enough to have some of the greatest players ever at the same time- was an undoubtedly successful era but that now is 20 years gone.

Five years without a trophy and an uphill battle to win one in the Utopia of world football is a tough ask. Does he have what it takes to win the PL at a time when there are many strong clubs to challenge him? Is he really as successful as some may lead you to believe?

I personally think his style of management is over and he has not, can not and will not adapt to the modern game. In my opinion I think he would work well within a club with a young manager with new ideas who could bounce ideas off him but I don't think he is a great head coach anymore.

I have said it before and I will say it again - we will not win a trophy under the stewardship of Louis Van Gaal.


1.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 11:58:13
And yet many of these stars hold him in such high esteem JMB.

And fact he was international manager for a number of those years to where u can only win a trophy every 2 years doesn't stop u spinning this yarn?


2.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 12:06:53
His last club team was Bayern and that was years ago. In his last full season he lost in the final of the champions league to a very good Inter team and just missed out on the treble. He then won the "German community shield" then had a bad season with Bayern, partly due to being told that his contract wouldn't be renewed I'm guessing. In 2012 he managed the Netherlands and only had a chance of winning one trophy in the 2 years he was there. He led them to 3rd in the World Cup.

Not too bad if you ask me.


3.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 12:09:41
That League cup is our's this year JMB i just feel it.


4.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 12:19:03
Hardly a fair analysis when 3 of his last 5 years were as the Dutch National Team manager!
How many international managers win trophies? Very few and LVG did a good job at the World Cup.

LVG has a remit to turn the club around and put it going in the right direction, hopefully winning a trophy in the process. If he gets it right then maybe We are all set for Giggs to take over in a few years.
Who would argue with that?
Giggs is a winner and with his experience of SAF and LVG hopefully he will know what it takes to get things right as a manager.
People need to think long term


5.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 12:28:57
So what happens if / when we do win a trophy, you just change your name again and say you never said it?

We got a few days of a decent JMB with a few decent arguments but he's back, didn't last long.


6.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 13:40:17
If he wins a trophy I will hold my hands up but in all honesty we all know that won't happen.


7.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 13:45:10
Oh FFS. This is getting silly now.


8.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 12:43:00
I agree with u jmb he has not won a trophy in 5 years, but what u conveniently forget is since being sacked by bayern he spent 1 year without being involved in football, took over netherlands after a disastrous euros and finished 3rd in world cup where no one gave them much of chance of progress in first place, finished 4th with Man utd who earlier season had finished 7th.
Funny thing u mention that at ajax he got lucky, so did Sir Alex get lucky too i mean was just a fluke too for fergie that many great players coming out of youth setup at once, because after class of 92 other than ronaldo we don't have 1, not even 1 player who came from our youth set up to be called worldclass or anywhere near.
U say thomas mueller bieng a good player has nothing to do with LVG, so can u tell me why before LVG he had what 4-5 first team appearances yet in van gaal's first season plays most of bayern's games, but of course this has nothing to do with van gaal as u know better than mueller himself who by the way credits van gaal for his development


9.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 12:46:56
Oh boy JMB you will eat those words.

You just want to chastise LVG and be as controversial as you can be on here.

The fact of the matter is, wherever LVG has gone he has been successful, his track record speaks for itself. The reason he has been trophyless for the past 5 years is mainly down to the fact that he coached Holland for nearly 3 years and also a season where he guided us back into the champions league after the disarray that our team was in because of the moyes era.

You can discredit him for being lucky, youth set ups that have been in place for years etc etc. But he has won wherever he has gone. His Ajax record speaks for itself, he chose to pick those young players and devised a system that was far apart from anything we had seen in Europe at that time.

He moves to barcelona and wins 2 la ligas in the space of 3 years. And not to forget the 2 of the most instrumental figures at Barcelona, Xavi & Iniesta were both brought into the team by Van Gaal and both cite him for being one of the most important people in their careers, they speak with incredible admiration for him.

AZ hadn't won a league championship in 27 years until Van Gaal, regardless of how poor you think their league is or was at the time, that is some achievement.

Moving to bayern is a daunting task for any manager. You are expected to win, simple. And guess what he did, he won the double and took them to the champions league final in his 1st year. Bringing in the likes of Thomas Muller who is now deemed irreplaceable by those at Bayern. And also pulling a masterstroke by converting winner Bastian Schweinsteiger into a defensive midfielder where he would captain germany to a world cup final.

Taking up the coaching position with Holland was a tough job. No longer blessed with the undeniable talent of past legends like van basten, koeman, seedorf, davids, bergkamp etc. He had to deal with a squad that was far from what we as football fans had become accustomed to when watching the Oranje. He devised a strategy, a system that led them to the semi finals of a WC where they were beaten only on penalties.

Many people will say he is a ruthless and controversial manager. But lest not forget we had probably the most ruthless and controversial manager in Alex Ferguson and look how that turned out. Alex Ferguson in fact wanted him appointed the 1st time he decided to retire only uturn himself and stay on.

JMB/MAZE whatever you want to call yourself, you are very much entitled to your opinion but try and back it up with some facts now and again.


10.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 12:53:44
I really try to take people's views under consideration when replying however, this has to be the dumbest post I have seen in a long time. He was lucky at Ajax? He was lucky at Bayern? He was lucky at AZ because the league wasn't as strong? To be honest, I don't rate Jose. He won the league with Porto but it's a poor league, he was lucky to win the champions league with them in 2004 because he only played Lyon, Deportivo and Monaco in the quarters, semi's and final so the tournament was poor that year. He was bank rolled at Chelsea, he inherited a strong team at Inter from Mancini, he went to Real who already had Ronaldo and he has been bank rolled by Chelsea again. Lucky Jose!


11.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 13:04:09
Good inter club? That inter team was down right average but Mourinho got them to play together well as a club and they overachieved big time.

In terms of international football management it is much different from club management and let's be honest the Dutch were horrible to watch under LVGs regime plus they won zilch (semi finals is not regarded as an achievement unless your a Liverpool fan!)

Let's see what happens but unlike Harry I have no confidence the lucky Dutchman has it in him to even deliver the league cup.


12.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 13:21:58
JMB , despite your delusions to the contrary Van Gaal will only leave the club if the board decide to sack him or his contract is up and he leaves .
Your five rants a day about him will have no effect whatsoever on either of these outcomes , so what exactly is the point apart from killing time until your school holidays are over .


13.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 14:51:46
What won't happen jmb? U holding your hands up if he proves u wrong? First thing u have said that I agree with lol.

My guess is if he won the league u would be on here telling us how u said what he needed to do to win it and you were proven right.

Sociopath springs to mind!


14.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 15:32:55
Have a day off mate! Inter won the bloody treble. That's not lucky, that's down to football ability. Mourinho doesn't play the game, the players do. Granted, Mourinho is a great manager, but some people seem to think he's a magician.


15.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 18:15:28
Apparently, the only that changed was your name!

Keep calm and believe!