Louis Van Gaal Has Handled Build-Up to Chelsea-Manchester United Clash Perfectly

Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho are old friends, and as the Dutchman prepares his Manchester United side to face Chelsea on Sunday, he has used that friendship to excellent effect in the media.

Manuel Pellegrini and Arsene Wenger have both had recent verbal clashes with the Chelsea manager. Pellegrini described Chelsea as playing like "a small team," per BBC Sport. Back in February, Wenger was described by the Portuguese as "a specialist in failure," again per BBC sport.  

In Arsenal and Chelsea's most recent clash, Wenger shoved Mourinho on the touchline, demonstrating that their relationship had not become any more harmonious in the ensuing months.

ANDRES KUDACKI/Associated Press

The dynamic between Van Gaal and Mourinho is considerably different. An assistant during Van Gaal's time in charge of Barcelona, Mourinho  said of Van Gaal, ahead of this season, "He is a very, very good coach and he'll be great for United," per Sky Sports. He went on to say, "We are both great coaches; it's what we were born to do."

In recent years, or perhaps even decades, the idea of United being second favourites for any home game has been a profound exception to the normal rule. However, Chelsea's start to the season has been dominant and impressive, where United's has been shaky and inconsistent. There is little doubt that Van Gaal's men are cast here in the unfamiliar role of underdogs.

Given that, Van Gaal has handled the build-up to the game perfectly. In Friday's press conference, he directly answered questions about Mourinho's reputation for mind games, saying, (h/t The Telegraph);

"

I am [made] from a little bit of iron. So I have a shield, an iron shield. No [nothing can get past it]. It took me a long time to understand that, but I have learned not to react and believe in myself, my players, my staff and that is important.

"

He also cast doubts on the notion that Diego Costa will be unavailable, saying (h/t The Telegraph again);

"

I think Costa will play. He can play maybe because of what I have heard and what I have read on the websites that he has trained this week. 

I also have my eyes open!

"

It is clear, then, that he has not allowed Mourinho to get under his skin. However, unlike some of his colleagues, he has not sought to antagonise the Chelsea manager. He was complimentary of the Portuguese, saying (h/t the Daily Mail);

"

He's such a wonderful coach. And to see that he's been a champion in different countries is fantastic.

He is a very modest and emotional human being, and I like that. He's very special but he is very special for me because I've worked with him and we've continued our relationship, which in the football world is not always normal. That's nice.

"

This positive language may simply be an honest representation of Van Gaal's feelings for Mourinho, but there is no doubt they are helpful to Van Gaal's cause. Given United are underdogs, the last thing he needs is the distraction of some kind of mind-game battle with Mourinho. Van Gaal knows his real battles with Mourinho will happen in the future, when he has fully established himself at United.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Of course, getting the press conference right is the easy part. Setting a positive mood around the United camp and amongst supporters may be an important aspect of the job, but ultimately it will not be what determines Van Gaal's success or otherwise.

Having handled the build-up perfectly, United fans will be hoping Van Gaal's team can now handle Chelsea on the pitch.