Louis Van Gaal Appointment at Manchester United Marks Sea Change over 12 Months

Manchester United chose the mystery prize last summer.

You know the one. The envelope with the question mark on the front the host offers to the contestant at the end of every '80s quiz show. 

It's meant to be a bit of a joke. You're not actually meant to take it. But United did. 

They barely gave Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho—the sports cars or jet skis—a passing glance when they appointed Sir Alex Ferguson's successor. Instead, they chose the envelope. The mystery. David Moyes.

A lack of any real success—titles or trophies—made Moyes an unknown quantity at the highest level.

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Had he turned out to be the second coming of Fergie the board hoped, it would have been a good decision. But he didn't. And it wasn't.

But unlike the daring quiz show contestant, United have been given a second chance. Or more accurately, they manufactured a second chance by binning Moyes after 10 months.

But as the conveyor belt of prizes rolls past Ed Woodward, he might be a little disappointed. It's just, well, the choices aren't as good as last time.

The sports cars and the jet skis are all gone. Ancelotti is at Real Madrid, Guardiola at Bayern and Mourinho at Chelsea. Instead, there are a selection of ride-on mowers and above-ground pools. Still good, just not as good.

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Louis van Gaal is a talented manager. You don't win league titles in Holland, Spain and Germany if you're not. 

But when United were looking for a new manager last summer, there weren't many supporters screaming for the 62-year-old Dutchman. Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and even Moyes, yes. But not Van Gaal.

Ferguson was 71 when he retired. And it was a natural instinct to pick someone younger, fresher, to follow him. But that didn't work. And now things have changed. 

United, battered and bruised after a humiliating season, need someone who can revive their fortunes. A big name to attract big players. A disciplinarian and a motivator to take control of a dressing room low on confidence.

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But they have been keen to show they have not been working on a short list of one. They took enough criticism for allowing Moyes to be handpicked. They've learned from their mistakes.

Van Gaal will be unemployed as soon as the Netherlands exit the World Cup. But Woodward will surely appoint on suitability rather than just availability.

Luckily for the executive vice chairman, Van Gaal is both.

That the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager is deemed the right man for the job is proof of how far United have fallen.

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It's not the time to gamble on a younger, more progressive, coach. Roberto Martinez or Diego Simeone, perhaps. They need a quick fix in order to get back into the Champions League as quickly as possible.

Van Gaal is a proven winner. Not a long-term appointment, but a winner nonetheless. Moyes' failure means there's no room for error this time.

And what if Van Gaal does more than just breathe new life into a giant trying to find its feet again? Win the title, perhaps, or even the Champions League?

If he can do that, he might just prove he was the big prize all along.