Louis Van Gaal's Man-Management Skills Are Giving Manchester United a Boost

As Manchester United’s players walked off the pitch at Arsenal following their first away win since April, they were each met with a high-five from Louis van Gaal at the entrance to the tunnel.

The Dutchman, renowned for his tactical nous, is a great man manager and someone who makes a point of building relationships with his players.

In pre-season training sessions, at least the ones open to the public on the tour of the United States, Van Gaal cheered and celebrated every goal like it was a competitive game. He even hugged Wayne Rooney after a successful corner-kick routine.

Handing Tom Cleverley the captain’s armband in a game against Roma was another example of shrewd man management from the 63-year-old.

An opening-day defeat to Swansea and draws against Sunderland and Burnley took the gloss off what was a good pre-season for United, but Van Gaal has kept his players motivated and looking forward rather than back. 

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At the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, United lined up with one of the most makeshift defences ever fielded in the Premier League.

Two young centre-backs in Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett, who had each played half a dozen times for United, started either side of a much-maligned Chris Smalling. Joining them at the back was right-winger Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw.

With an average age of just 22 between the five men, it was a defence that stood in stark contrast to the Rio Ferdinand-Nemanja Vidic-Patrice Evra back line that served Sir Alex Ferguson so well throughout the last decade.

It was therefore unsurprising that United looked nervy and anxious during most of the first half. When they eventually did settle, however, they grew in confidence and looked increasingly assured as the game wore on.

The point is, Van Gaal managed to scrape together a defence that, regardless of how fallible it looked, managed to stop Arsenal scoring until Olivier Giroud’s excellent consolation goal after 90 minutes.

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Without some added context, United’s victory over Arsenal might not warrant a mention. It’s only upon closer inspection that Van Gaal’s first win against Arsene Wenger’s side becomes all the more impressive.

Blackett, for instance, endured a shaky loan spell at Birmingham City last season, while McNair played U21 football for the first nine months of the year. Neither player would have featured so heavily this season were it not for injuries and suspensions, but the way they have stood up to such intense pressure is commendable.

Even fringe players like Valencia and Ashley Young, who replaced Shaw midway through the first half, performed well against a dynamic Arsenal attack.

Then there’s Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian has played excellently against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal within the space of a month.  His mini-rejuvenation is largely down to the way Van Gaal has utilised him and played to his strengths.

The sight of Rooney and Angel Di Maria exposing Arsenal on the counter-attack will likely be the enduring image of United’s win at the Emirates, but five or six less-celebrated players in the side deserve great credit for the way they helped inflict Arsenal’s first home defeat in the league since the first game of the 2013/14 season.

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“I think every human being is special because every human being has their own identity,” Van Gaal said ahead of his meeting against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea last month, per Ian Herbert of The Independent. 

That sort of philosophy, to coin Van Gaal’s favourite phrase, underpins the way the Dutchman interacts with his players individually and collectively.

At the World Cup, for example, he made a point of congratulating substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after the striker scored a last-gasp winner against Mexico. It may seem insignificant, but it’s that sort of man management that pays dividends in the long run.

The Netherlands were unfancied heading into the tournament, yet Van Gaal was a penalty shootout away from taking them to the final. The current malaise under new national team boss Guus Hiddink illustrates just how good a job United’s new manager did with the same squad of players.

Van Gaal has had some high-profile fallouts at his former clubs but in the main it’s his ability to form a relationship with his players that typifies his man-management skills.

At times last season, it seemed as if some United players were so distant from David Moyes that draws and defeats almost became expected. Under Van Gaal, though, there seems to be a mutual understanding, even if performances and results haven’t necessarily reflected that.

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In truth, United didn’t play that well against Arsenal, who should have won the game when they were on the front foot in the first half.

The point, however, is that they didn’t.

It’s no coincidence that United managed to pick up all three points, since wins against Everton and West Ham United in similar circumstances, as well as a draw at home to Chelsea, illustrate that Van Gaal is building a side capable of picking up points from unfavourable positions.

Once injuries ease up—and they should do—United will have a squad more than capable of finishing inside the top four this season. With Van Gaal at the helm, United have a manager who can do just that: manage.


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