So, after $375 million in transfers, two seasons of often
mind-numbing soccer, one trophy and countless references to his
"process" and "philosophy," Louis van Gaal is no longer manager of
Manchester United. The English Premier League club announced his
departure on Monday evening.
After David Moyes' ill-fated 10-month tenure in the 2013-14 season, post-Alex Ferguson, United needed an experienced, larger-than-life coach to bring stability to England's biggest club.
Van Gaal, just off a successful second stint with the Dutch national team and with his resume including spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, was thought to be that man. And he was handed unprecedented sums of money in the transfer market to renew the squad and allow it to compete at the top end of the English and European game.
Within two seasons, he is out — and United look no closer to regaining its stature of old, on the field at least.
So how will Van Gaal be remembered? Certainly his brand of football won't be missed by the regulars at Old Trafford. And United's owners will be scratching their heads at where all the money went.
Yet his occasional frivolity on the touchline have shown a lighter side to the man nicknamed the "Iron Tulip," and his drip-feeding of academy players into the first team could reap its rewards in the years to come. In Anthony Martial, United could also potentially have a world star in its midst.
After David Moyes' ill-fated 10-month tenure in the 2013-14 season, post-Alex Ferguson, United needed an experienced, larger-than-life coach to bring stability to England's biggest club.
Van Gaal, just off a successful second stint with the Dutch national team and with his resume including spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, was thought to be that man. And he was handed unprecedented sums of money in the transfer market to renew the squad and allow it to compete at the top end of the English and European game.
Within two seasons, he is out — and United look no closer to regaining its stature of old, on the field at least.
So how will Van Gaal be remembered? Certainly his brand of football won't be missed by the regulars at Old Trafford. And United's owners will be scratching their heads at where all the money went.
Yet his occasional frivolity on the touchline have shown a lighter side to the man nicknamed the "Iron Tulip," and his drip-feeding of academy players into the first team could reap its rewards in the years to come. In Anthony Martial, United could also potentially have a world star in its midst.
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