Louis van Gaal

Louis van Gaal wrote: "It was always a wish for me to work in the Premier League. To work as a manager for Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, makes me very proud. I have managed in games at Old Trafford before and know what an incredible arena Old Trafford is and how passionate and knowledgeable the fans are. This club has big ambitions; I too have big ambitions. Together I'm sure we will make history."

Busby Babe wrote:It's official

Louis van Gaal wrote: "It was always a wish for me to work in the Premier League. To work as a manager for Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, makes me very proud. I have managed in games at Old Trafford before and know what an incredible arena Old Trafford is and how passionate and knowledgeable the fans are. This club has big ambitions; I too have big ambitions. Together I'm sure we will make history."

- Ryan Giggs to be assistant manager
- Frans Hoek and Marcel Bout join as assistant coaches

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2014/May/Manchester-United-appoint-Louis-van-Gaal-as-manager.aspx?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=ManUtd&pageNo=1

Let's hope the Netherlands crash out in the group stages now, so he can start as early as possible  

Pedro Daniel Sousa (P.D.S) - What features should present a team to be considered a Top team?

Louis van Gaal (L. van Gaal) –
First, the players ... must have individual qualities... not only as a football player but also as a human being. Because that is also very important, because you have to play in a team and not individually... and then you need a very good trainer coach, that can transfer an philosophy of football... a way of football... and then the eleven players has to perform that... so, the chemistry between the technical quality of the head coach, or the technical staff, with the players selection has to be very good

(P.D.S) - What is dominant football?

(L. van Gaal) -
That you decide how the opponent play their football and not that the opponent decides where we have to play.

(P.D.S) - And a top team controls the game from the offensive or you can also do that by the defensive point of view?

(L. van Gaal) -
Yes, because there are different styles... in Italy they are always defensively... in England is always offensively... except when they are using a European coach... because of that, the coach is very important... so... I have always play very offensively as a trainer coach with my teams, but this season I play more defensively... to organize more and to create open space for my very faster strikers... but that's also dominant... only I like more the offensive style... because I like that. You have to deliver a product for the public... and with this product I don't like it, like the offensively style but... it's a very attractive style, when you do it with speed!

P.D.S) – Is there a moment more important than another?

(L. van Gaal) -
I think the transition is the most important... aspect of the moments... so, I divide the game in four... in four, and not in three, in four... and you have ball possession opponent, then you have transition in ball possession ... then the opponent is not organized... so that is the moment that you have to benefit... because at that time they are not organized. When you have ball possession then your opponent it's in organization... and then it ́s more (less too late???) ... but top teams can create also, chances against organized teams, Barcelona can do that very well and Manchester United also and AZ I think
also..

(P.D.S) -Yes...So one of the characteristics of that ball circulation is...

(L. van Gaal) -
... The pass, and not the speed. Every journalist said has to be a higher ball circulation... and I said that is not so
important... because the replaces of the ball demands another organization defensively of the opponent

(P.D.S) - What risks should be taken by a top team?

(L. van Gaal) - No risk.
You have to avoid the risk. That’s your organization defensively... and that's why.... for example, Mourinho win's a lot... because he always has a very good defensive organization... so you have to avoid risk... So when you are in attack you have to think to defend...

(P.D.S) - Exactly... it's one of the questions that I gone do... but when you attack you increase the risks to lose the ball?

(L. van Gaal) -
Yes... it's true, because when you attack you take always risk because have a big space behind you... so that's true... because of that you need defensively thinking when you attack...

(P.D.S) - You said that you want the pitch bigger... not in all moments of attack... if the ball it ́s in zone of finalization... near to the opponent goal... the defenders have to stay together...

(L. van Gaal) –
Yes together...when you have to across a phase... I divide also the attacking moment in the first phase, second phase, thirst phase and fourth phase... The first phase it’s the construction, the second is the... circulation of the ball to createmthe pass... this is the third phase... the creative... and the fourth phase is the finalization

(P.D.S) - What characteristics do you want that your team shows in the field?

(L. van Gaal) -
I want 8 lines... 8 lines... so many as possible... because then the occupation of the pitch it's better... so we are blue...the best occupation of the pitch is this system... 1,2,3,4,5,6,7... and with this dynamic one line more (Figure)... but depends where is the ball... when the ball is here he has to go here... so also form a line to pass, but when you play thatsystem you have always triangles... you have always two options for here... here... two options...also more... it's thesame here... two options... in the middle it's always more... here it's also a triangle... a triangle... so that’s why 4-3-3, in my opinion, is the best system and you can play with a defensively player or an offensive player (triangle of midfield)it’s dependable of the quality of your players. When you play a 4-4-2 a lot of teams are doing that, then you have not so much lines... you see... and it’s easy to defend ... therefore I played... when I have two good strikers in a window, so then I have six lines, 1,2,3,4,5,6 (He doesn’t count the GR) and dynamically more.




(P.D.S) - Other systems that don't define so many lines, such as 1-4-4-2 line, can likewise provide quality of the ball movement?

(L. van Gaal) -
It's not so good, because you have less lines... but it’s a dynamic situation...so you can said... ok, this is also triangles but when this mathematically more triangles you have in your system then it's more easy, because the players without thinking they are, already, in the position but now they have to see the space... it's more difficult and they are more closely to each other it's not so big the pitch... Do you understand... so the space it’s better divided when they placed like that... you can see it with your eyes... it’s always more space...So the other systems are not so shut(?) for ball circulation

(P.D.S) - When you are in defensive phase do you have offensive concerns?

(L. van Gaal) -
Yes... (What kind?) I need always... because that’s also depends of your system... but I want always a deep striker... and I want always one looking for the big space...


(P.D.S) - The big space!?

(L. van Gaal) -
Yes, not deep... that's one striker, and he has to ties the central defender to pick him up... because then the spaces here it's bigger... so that's why I played like this... and that’s why I played in 4-3-3 with a second striker, the number 10, mostly... and dependable of the quality of the player he is a second striker or a third midfielder... So Litmanen in Ajax...has a third midfielder... Dennis Bergkamp is a second striker



(P.D.S.) – What profile of players do you want to occupy positions in the central corridor? The position that you define as number 4 and 10...

(L. van Gaal) –
Thinkers. Brain. But a lot of trainer coaches want to be here defender... always with me... thinkers. Guardiola, Xavi,Jong... always that kind of players.

(P.D.S.) - And number 10?

(L. van Gaal) –
Number 10 I liked more a midfielder that can go... (more a midfielder then a second striker that come back...) yes...Now I play with a second striker and defensively I doesn’t not work for the team... but at this level in Netherlands we can keep the safety... but it’s always more difficult... when is defensively...and he can go there also it’s better... but he
as to score... this man as to score... so our second striker scores 20 goals... this man has to score...Litmanen always twenty, twenty five goals, Bergkamp twenty, twentyfive... not he (striker position)... he ten... because he takes benefits of him..

(P.D.S.) – In the system that you advocate there are more fixed positions and positions of greater mobility?

(L. van Gaal) –
Yes, that’s true... the greater mobility are always the wings (the midfielders that go the wings...) an then they have to come inside... they have to run a lot... and the central midfielder also have to run a lot... and the laterals, the full backs... so, there are six that run a lot...the others: the striker, he always wants to run a lot but I don ́t liked he has to stay... the second striker he needs more brain than running... and the two central midfielders I liked more brain than runners... and the central defenders more brain than running... (and the goal-keeper too) Yes

Frans Hoek

Described in the United statement as an "assistant coach, specialising in goalkeeping", the 57-year-old has been at almost every club with Van Gaal. Starting off as Ajax's goalkeeping coach in 1985, he kept his job when Van Gaal came to the club in 1991. Hoek then moved to Barcelona, the Netherlands, and back to Barcelona to work with Van Gaal before parting ways after the manager's departure from the Catalan club in 2003.

While Van Gaal returned to the Dutch league with AZ Alkmaar in 2005, Hoek moved to work with the Poland national team between 2006 and 2009. That is the only time they have not been together though; the duo reunited at Bayern and both are involved with the Netherlands for the upcoming World Cup.

Marcel Bout

Unlike Hoek, Bout has not worked with Van Gaal for nearly as long. Aged 51, Bout is described by the United statement as an "assistant coach, specialising in opposition scouting". The two were first on the same coaching staff when Bout took charge of the youth team in the reserve league at AZ a year after Van Gaal had joined the club as manager.

Following a year at Dutch side Telstar in 2009, Bout moved to Bayern Munich to join up again with Van Gaal, and this time worked in the role he is likely to be in at Old Trafford. While Van Gaal left Munich in 2011, Bout remained under Jupp Heynckes, serving as part of the team that won the treble last season. Bout left Bayern at the end of that season.

Van Gaal said one of the first congratulatory text messages he received was from Mourinho. "He said he was jealous of my list of clubs," the Dutchman reported.

Tan: There is one player I think who could leave United. Because at the Dutch NT you have 30 players and he’s not there. (Buttner) So I imagine if you’re not good enough for the Dutch NT are you good enough for Manchester United?

LVG: Well you could say stuff like that, but I can’t talk about that. This wouldn’t be good for Buttner if I answered this nor would it be good for United or for me.

LvG: "I seen a lot of Kagawa when he was at Dortmund. He was the best player in Germany. I expect the same in Manchester".