Photo: Manchester United Manager, Louis van Gaal (Getty Images)
Former Manchester United manager and the most successful manager in the history of British Football Sir Alex Ferguson has publicly expressed his full support of Louis van Gaal who is now in the hot-seat at Old Trafford. Van Gaal was given the responsibility of picking up all the pieces of a broken team engineered by David Moyes, in an effort to bring them back to where they belong.
With the Christmas period in full swing, the Red Devils are third in the league, 7 points behinds second place Manchester City and 10 behind leaders Chelsea. Despite mixed results and performances for the 63 year old Dutch master tactician, Sir Alex has branded him a great manager and that he will place Man United back at the top. The Scotsman who knows the English game and management very well, also felt sorry for the Dutchman because of all the injuries his team has suffered so far this season.
He said, ‘First of all, Louis van Gaal. I don’t know how he can expect to get the best results with the injuries he’s had. And when he gets his best players back you watch United because he is a great coach, he will do well.’
With all the injuries at Old Trafford, LvG hasn’t been able to integrate his 6 new signings as best as he would have liked. Fergi also pointed to the fact that he expects those new players to take a bit of time to settle in. He stated, ‘I’m not interested in what’s happening with the new players he has brought in because they’re going to need time.’
‘When I took Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic in the January of the same year – 2006, they were all over the place. It took 5 months to get used to playing for Manchester United, the culture, the history of the club. So these new players will be exactly the same.’
Despite finishing 7th last season and the team playing some horrible football, Sir Alex believes the team he departed as champions of England still has great players. He had special praise for Michael Carrick who he bought from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2006.
He continued, ‘They’ve still got great players, I think Michael Carrick is the best central midfield player in English Football I really do. I think he is the best English player in the game.’
The legendary Scot also expects United to put together a great run in the second half of the season once the injuries cease.
‘The World Cup might have taken a lot out of Robin van Persie but you watch him in the second half of the season, he’ll be fine. Rooney is back flying you know and Rooney will always get you a goal. That’s an advantage when the team has got a goalscorer.’
‘The one that is most pleasing to me at the present moment is David De Gea. When we bought him as a kid, yeah he was frail and skinny but he had ability. He has got special talent and thats really showing now and I’m really pleased for that kid. But once they get their players back they will be fine, make no mistake about it.’
When asked by Clare Balding if he thinks they will win the title next season the 72 year old who will be 73 on New Year’s Eve responded very quickly, ‘Yes.’
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