Comparing Louis van Gaal's Start to Life at Manchester United with David Moyes'
Louis van Gaal didn't like the question when it came. It was after Manchester United had been beaten by Southampton at Old Trafford.
"You have the same record as David Moyes at the same stage last season, do you think you've made progress," came the enquiry in his post-match press conference.
"You have been waiting for this moment to ask that question," was the sharp response.
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After 21 Premier League games, both Moyes and Van Gaal had 37 points. In fact, Moyes' United had scored one more goal. Moyes didn't see out the season, relieved of his duties in April with United in seventh.
It's easy to look their two records and conclude that United haven't made any progress. But stats don't tell you everything.
Despite a few dissenting voices at Loftus Road on Saturday, the fans are behind Van Gaal because he looks and sounds like a United manager. Moyes never really seemed to get the hang of it.
After 21 games, Moyes was seventh in Premier League table. Van Gaal is fourth and on course to meet his minimum target of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Moyes might argue that the Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton teams he had to face were performing far better last season than they are this season. And while that's true, it's none of Van Gaal's concern.
Context, though, is vital. You can argue that Moyes should have done better with a squad that won the title by 11 points the previous season. On the other hand, you could argue that he took on an impossible job in following Sir Alex Ferguson with a team that was past its best.
You can conclude that Van Gaal should be doing better with a squad that was improved to the tune of £150 million in the summer. Or that it's unfair to judge him now because of the injury list he's had to contend with.
But in reality, none of it matters. Expectation is the only thing that's important. Neither Moyes or Van Gaal were expected to win the title in their first seasons. A trophy, either the League Cup or the FA Cup, might have bought Moyes a bit more time. But that wasn't his main objective either.
His target was to finish in the Champions League places. And it was only after that became mathematically impossible following the defeat to Everton at Goodison Park, that he was sacked. Finishing in the top four is Van Gaal's priority, too. And, sat fourth in the league he remains on course to achieve it.
With that comes the support of the board and the trust of his players. It's debatable whether Moyes had that much beyond the turn of the year.
The stats will tell you Moyes and Van Gaal got off to similar starts at United. They'll tell you that, in mid January, their teams had the same amount of points. But that's only half the story.
Van Gaal has started to feel the pressure, ever so slightly, after defeat to Southampton and a dire first-half against QPR. There are concerns about his tactics, in particular his continued use of 3-5-2. There is a feeling among some fans that it doesn't lend itself to free-flowing, attacking football. And they are probably right.
But after all that, Van Gaal can point to the target he was given at the start of the season. He was told to get United back into the Champions League as quickly as possible, and that's what he's doing.
By this stage of the season, Moyes was seventh in the table, and leaving himself a mountain to climb to get into the top four. The starts to their respective United careers might look the same. But that's where the similarity ends.
Quotes obtained first-hand.
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