How Louis Van Gaal Can Make Manchester United the 'Best in the World'
In his press conference on Friday, Louis van Gaal said his ambition was to make Manchester United the "best team of the world," per David McDonnell of the Mirror.
Taken out of context, it is a bombastic statement of intent. In truth, it was a response to a question about United looking to have the best players in the world in individual positions. Van Gaal's emphasis was on the word team.
Whatever the context, it is telling that Van Gaal's ambition is so grandiose. Let's take a look at what he will need to do to achieve it.
Start Prioritising His System
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The picture above shows Van Gaal celebrating his remarkable Ajax side winning the Champions League. A team built mostly from the Ajax academy swept all before them, playing a style of football which can only be described as very Dutch.
Van Gaal's 4-3-3 might have been different to Johan Cruyff's but a 4-3-3 it was nonetheless.
After 20 years, it may be that 4-3-3 is not the system he settles on with United, but in order to make them truly great, he is probably going to have to pick a system and stick with it.
United's unbalanced squad is an impediment to this. After all, designing a system which suits Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao and Juan Mata is difficult enough on paper, let alone on a football pitch.
He is going to have to prioritise the system over superstars to make United great.
Keep Trusting in Youth
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It is all too easy to look to the transfer market as the solution to United's ills, and there is no question that it has a part to play—of which more later.
However, it is not the whole solution. United's truly great sides have always had a strong element of homegrown talent, as have Van Gaal's great sides.
His reputation in this area is stellar, and many top European talents owe at least part of their careers to Van Gaal taking a punt on them.
During the summer, some fans were understandably concerned about the direction United were heading in. Had they become a club who only bought their way out of trouble? Were the grand traditions of developing their own being abandoned in favour of the quick fix of the transfer market?
Van Gaal's history should have allayed those concerns, but if it did not, his actions surely have. Promoting Patrick McNair and Tyler Blackett in the face of an injury crisis has brought some reward and was a clear statement of intent.
It is not just United's great sides that have had a strong element of homegrown talent. The best team in recent history, Barcelona in 2010/11, certainly did.
Van Gaal's United should be no different.
Keep Improving His Current Players
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On an episode of Sky Sports' Monday Night Football in December, Gary Neville was effusive in his praise of David De Gea.
He said (h/t Sky Sports):
"There has been a physical maturity since two years ago, but there has also been a massive technical improvement in the last 12-18 months, and even in this season too. He has now become a great goalkeeper.
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Many of the improvements he pointed out appeared to be the result of specific coaching, concerning his positioning in particular.
He is far from the only improved player in United's squad. Ashley Young stands out as a player who is benefiting from Van Gaal's regime, but almost every individual in United's squad is performing at a higher level than they did last season.
It should come as no surprise that Van Gaal has improved individual performances. Arjen Robben said of him, per Sky Sports: "He is one of the few coaches who can make teams play better. He makes players better."
Continuing to make players better will be a key part of making United the best.
Top Quality Additions
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Okay, well, perhaps Lionel Messi is a bridge too far, but United do still need to strengthen their side.
United's balance is still not right in the centre of midfield, and a true "box-to-box" type would enable Van Gaal to switch to 4-3-3 more comfortably.
Given their injury records and performance history, it is currently hard to imagine any of United's central defenders forming a partnership of the quality of, say, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic's.
Up front there is plenty of talent, but Di Maria's recent absence highlighted a fairly dramatic lack of pace. Someone like Gareth Bale would make a huge difference in that area.
United's squad is much improved over this time last season, and to make United the best in the world, further improvements are needed. By the time the summer comes around, Van Gaal will have been in post for a year and will be well placed to guide the club's acquisitions.
Even with all of those factors in place, United might not become the best in the world, but they will at least have a shot at the title.
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