Manchester United’s managerial history post-Sir Alex Ferguson has been nothing short of a disaster.
David Moyes failed miserably, while Jose Mourinho started well but faded quickly. Similarly, that’s how Louis van Gaal’s spell at Old Trafford went down; although the Iron Tulip did finish on a high by lifting the FA Cup.
At the time, it always felt like the correct decision to relieve Van Gaal of his duties. But at least he was always consistent. The Dutchman knew what he wanted from his players, the squad knew what was expected from them. Looking back, perhaps he got a raw deal.
Now, a few years later, Van Gaal has finally spoken out on what unfolded at United. Perhaps the quote of the interview came right at the beginning, as Van Gaal explained why Spurs was probably a better job than United.
“Tottenham was a better selection because Manchester United were an old team and I knew I would have to transform them,” Van Gaal told the BBC. “Was it the wrong choice? Maybe, but I follow my heart. I worked at the number one team in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and now also in England.”
That summer, it did look for all the world that Van Gaal was heading to Spurs before United swooped. After what he did at the World Cup, it’s fair to say we were filled with excitement.
His reasoning behind Spurs being a more attractive proposition certainly makes sense, but as he says, it’s tough to say no to the biggest club in the country. It probably came with a nice little wage packet, too…
I guess hindsight is a wonderful thing, but right now, Spurs are probably still a more attractive prospect. They’re in a shiny new stadium with a starting line-up that’s third-best in the league at the moment. When you’ve got Harry Kane leading the line, you’ve always got a chance.
However, United are now a side on the up once again. That’s down to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and having a fan favourite at the helm truly is a thing of beauty.
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