11 Mar 2015 14:11:16
Got a bit of time on my hands (as you would expect being a student, haha) so I thought I would do a fairly long post explaining my thoughts on A) Why Van Gaal's tactics are not suited to the club and B) why Simeone probably fits the clubs mold better than most other managers.

Starting with Van Gaal.

Look at the two of his past clubs, Ajax and Barcelona. Ajax are a club that have been built on the foundations of technical footballers with a mantra of, keep the ball so the opponent can't score and try to control every area of the pitch. It is plain to see that Van Gaal holds this mantra close to him. This mantra unfortunately leads to 'unnecessary possession' which we have seen all too much of. This tactic followed him to Barcelona, a club that was built on the foundations of Cruyff, a legend who was brought up in the Dutch way and again, slow, controlled, possession fueled tactics.

Compare this to our beloved club. For the last 25 years and back even further from that we have had the philosophy of 'Attack, Attack, Attack' - so much so that the crowd even shout it in games. This has involved us outscoring teams and seeing legendary attackers like Charlton, Best, Law, Giggs, Ronaldo etc. grace the pitch. If the opposition scored no worries, we will score more. SAF perfected this philosophy playing with 2 strikers that complemented each other and formed a partnership - Cole & Yorke, Rooney & Tevez etc. Never have we seen this slow build up, possession obsessed style that takes time to grind the opposition down. A crowd that is of varying ages and experiences will not all unite with these new tactics, even myself at 20 do not see any appeal to them - it is not the Manchester United way, but it is the Van Gaal way.

How can you change a man's beliefs in his mid 60s who has 30 plus years experience and has won pretty much everything that can be won? The Dutch way is so ingrained in Van Gaal that he will not change, he cannot change. Now, I have no doubt that given 2, maybe 3 more seasons that he could make the Dutch philosophy work, but the overhaul of players is going to be monstrous - the team in 2 years bare little if any resemblance to the team that we see today. Do we need this change in philosophy as a club?

My thoughts on this is no, we don't need this change in philosophy. The Manchester United way is age old, and even at the age of 20, I am proud of it. I hope that for many years that the 'Attack, Attack, Attack' style of play stays with us as it is more exciting and has proved to be successful. So why am I saying Simeone? Well I would like at this point to also mention Ancelotti who has proven at Real Madrid to be a very attacking coach who goes for goals (probably in part to having Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale up front). He is too old to build and continue a legacy though, does an older manager need the task of managing Manchester United, a job that is equally as challenging as managing Real Madrid and is one of the hardest jobs in football.

Simeone is a maverick, a man fueled by passion. His Atletico team is not built on mindless possession. He encourages pressing, commitment and attacking at speed which he feels creates more opportunities and is harder to defend against. And you can't deny that he is wrong, winning the title last year is testament to that with spot on tactics that are hard to play against. An organised team, but one with attacking intentions whose goal is to win the ball back quickly and then get it forward - like a Manchester United team of old. I encourage you to watch some of Atletico's performances last season, countless times did they win the ball back near the half way line and get it straight to Costa who was already bursting forward to get a chance at goal. This is what we want to see, get a Vidal winning the ball in the middle and passing it straight to a waiting Di Maria or Rooney to drive the whole team forward.

I would love to hear all of your guys thoughts. This isn't an LVG out post, this is trying to be constructive and generate debate.

Banter please ed.

1.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 14:50:05
Arsenal fan in peace. I think that's a top post there. LVG strikes me as a stubborn man (Wenger-like in a way). They have this thing of going against the tide and trying to prove a point and this is detrimental o the team sometimes. Sometimes coaches have to be flexible and address glaring errors even if it's the media that mentions them first

2.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 14:53:52
Not being funny Fresh, but do you honestly think the manager watches the performances and thinks the team are any where near how he wants them to perform?

Siemone doesn't speak a word of English, I believe. Not sure the club needs another manager who struggles to convey what he wants from the team.

As it stands, the manager is doing what the club have asked him to do. If he achieves top four at the end of the season, then, IMO, the club will give him more money to spend. And I guarantee he knows full well what he needs this summer.

The team hasn't performed for a number of reasons. Not having the required personnel to properly implement the managers ideas has forced him into going against his own philosophy in a bid to achieve what has been asked of him: CL football next season.

That is my thoughts on the matter anyway.

3.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 15:01:15
Good post Fresh. I agree, LVG has some great characteristics that were needed after the Moyes debacle (confidence, gravitas in particular), but he is too far the other way and we are paying the price. This is Man Utd, it shouldn't be LVG's guinea pig to prove his ideas on football are correct, we are too desperate and as a result he is systematically changing everything within the club, some of it needed improving without doubt, but we wanted a fresh lick of paint and maybe an extension, he is knocking down the house and building a water boat!

Not sure about Simeone, I like him, he is passionate, intelligent, but there is something I just don't like about him. I can imagine him screwing us over the second things don't go his way, just a hunch maybe because he is a greasy Argie that did England evil (1998).lol

You all know I don't rate LVG so I won't bang on about that. I just think we are selling our soul to a guy with nothing to lose and everything to gain. If this season has taught us anything it is that the team has to be a team and not just a random collective of very expensive individuals and bizarre managerial decisions.

We need a steady, intelligent, young, progressive manager who will move with the times rather than attempt to change everything to suit their out dated ideas on how the game is meant to be played.

Poch or maybe Klopp for me.

4.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 15:07:41
But Sam, is this the sort of style of play that the club wants to move towards? Away from attacking to controlling and boring? I'm not sure and influential people like Charlton, Fergie and to some extent Giggs can't be liking such a huge move away from the Manchester United way.

5.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 15:38:53
Fresh, do you watch Atletico on a regular basis .
It's very effective, hard working, lots of goals from set pieces and gets results but they are by no means a joy to watch

6.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 15:44:12
Beast

Klopp is who I wanted to see last summer!

7.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 15:53:26
Fresh, again, I don't believe that the type of football we are currently producing - although some of it has been good IMO - is the type of football the manager ultimately wants to see when he has all his pieces in place. He has said as much on a number of occasions.

I can imagine the man is under a lot of pressure ATM. He probably doesn't trust certain players to deliver so he is looking at how best to win games, as opposed to playing a more expansive brand of football that might back-fire on him.

If we get into the top four this season, I believe that next season, things will be a lot more positive.

8.) 11 Mar 2015
11 Mar 2015 17:00:16
Sam
If he can't handle a bit of pressure he is in the wrong job