With the clock ticking towards his retirement, at times it may appear Van Gaal has stepped away from his principles, instead looking for instant gratification for both his legacy and for the fans.
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Van Gaal seems welded to the idea that, if the other team don’t have the ball, they can’t any goals. The Mexican global is playing about as well as he ever has in his career right now.
Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett were beneficiaries of this approach last season, for example. One of the keys to how Van Gaal turned around Bayern to win the title was a realisation by his players that instructions, delivered in a foreign language, were not meant to be taken literally.
Further to this, Van Gaal has an excellent opportunity to push his project forward in January with the reopening of the transfer window. He is in no hurry to change things or bow to the crowd’s cries of “attack, attack, attack”, with defence still very much at the heart of this United team.
It’s a very interesting analogy that famous United fans such as Terry Christian (of Channel 4’s The Word) make when they state if David Moyes had made the same progress as LVG he would have been hounded out by now. Like Rooney’s form, it has been an ever-present discussion.
A possession-heavy approach can be a handsome one to watch, as Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side proved.
The 25-year-old has proven his worth to United once again this season with a string of impressive performances, and he has expressed his happiness at the club where he says he feels “loved” by the Old Trafford faithful.
Van Gaal does not have that luxury, and the fact that Rooney, not for the want of effort it should be said, has disappointed this season, has been a big blow.
“I can see why people are voicing their opinion because it’s not how United go about their business and it’s been very hard at times for people to bear”.
Dwight Yorke, a member of the club’s treble-winning team in 1999, said: “The legacy that Sir Alex (Ferguson) has left behind after 26 years has meant we’re used to seeing a certain type of football”.
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“What I know is that you always have to be ready for when the chance comes”.
