Club icon and coach reaches agreement with previous team: "No Longer Views It as a Football Club"
Mystery Voice: Hey there! Let's dive into the world of football, shall we? The legendary Dutch coach Louis van Gaal's taken a jab at Manchester United after their lackluster season, blaming the commercial focus and poor transfer decisions.
Tottenham Sparks Joy as Europa League Winner: In an exclusive Sky Sports interview, van Gaal didn't mince words, expressing his frustrations with the Red Devils' transfer policy and the power held by the owners over coaches. "It's a commercial club through and through," he said, "You can't succeed without a coach deciding on the players."
Behind the Scenes: Van Gaal's not one to shy away from expressing his opinions—during his time at United, he criticized the club's transfer activities. Back in 2020, he shared that he didn't get the players he wanted, emphasizing the need for rejuvenation.
A Rival to Look Up To: With Manchester United tumbling to 15th place last season, the team's first non-European appearance in years, there's a clear need for change. Rather than focusing on profits, Van Gaal suggests the club takes inspiration from their arch-rivals, FC Liverpool.
As the Reds' successful new manager Arne Slot reminds us, a coach's input is crucial when it comes to transfer decisions. Liverpool's system seems to work, as their players fit the team's style. Van Gaal put it simply, "At Liverpool, the coach tells his sporting director which player to buy."
New Structure, Same Questions: With Manchester's recent shift, appointing Rúben Amorim to manage, the club aims to cut corners and achieve immediate success. However, the complex structure and lack of a strategic, system-driven approach raise questions about sustainability and consistency.
Compared to Liverpool, United's approach seems disjointed, with managers imposing their own playing styles rather than molding to an established system. To regain glory, the Red Devils would do well to learn from their rivals and prioritize a long-term vision.
Insights:
- Manchester United's transfer decision-making currently focuses on short-term success, but may lack long-term sustainability due to a lack of strategic planning and system-driven approach.
- Liverpool's approach emphasizes building around a system for consistency and sustainability through collaborative decision-making.
- While Manchester United has recently focused on signing rising stars, it remains to be seen how consistently this approach will be applied for long-term success.
- The influential role of the manager in transfer decisions seems to be a contributing factor in the issues facing Manchester United.
- Louis van Gaal, in a critical interview, suggested that Manchester United's issues may stem from their focus on commercial success over sports-analysis and coach decisions in transfer policies, citing their rivals, FC Liverpool, as a model for cooperation between coaches and sporting directors.
- The new manager of FC Liverpool, Arne Slot, demonstrates the importance of a coach's input in transfer decisions, with Liverpool's approach of building around a system aiming for consistency and sustainability that seemingly eludes Manchester United.
- As Manchester United looks to appoint Rúben Amorim and cut corners for immediate success, there are concerns about their strategy's long-term vision, while other European-leagues like those in which Liverpool competes offer examples of system-driven approaches leading to both immediate and sustained success.
