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Soccer Premier League

Louis Van Gaal Can Make Manchester United The Best Despite Poor Start

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Considered in his choice of words, commanding and optimistic — that’s how Louis Van Gaal came across in his post-match interview following his side’s narrow Manchester derby defeat.

No doubt, it would have been easier for the former Netherlands coach to exude a far more abrupt and coarse manner when being cross-examined. After all, he had just lost his first derby. However, it was clear to see that despite the end result, the 63-year-old coach was far more focused on the bigger picture.

If you’re a Manchester United fan, there are problems upon problems with the team almost everywhere you look this season, making it difficult for the most successful English club in recent history to make any real headway. Suffering their worst start to a top-flight campaign in 28 years, there’s not a whole lot to get excited about at first glance.

But the only reason it’s been such a long time since they last performed so poorly was because of the God-like Sir Alex Ferguson, a man who could simply do no wrong at Old Trafford. So, it’s pretty unfair to judge him Van Gaal too much on that performance. When you break it down, it’s easy to see that there’s quite a long list of positives in his tenure so far, and it’s important that the fans realize this before they start to get impatient.

Holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw as well as putting in a spirited shift against the Citizens, United are certainly working hard to make sure they up their tempo against the best teams, pushing themselves all the way and endeavour to make their supporters proud once again. Because despite their lack of points — they’ve currently got the same amount as Newcastle United, a team whose boss Alan Pardew was facing the sack up until very recently — it looks as though they’ve got the right contingency plans in place to help them weather the storm.

Yes, they’re struggling for cover at the back, and they’re way behind their target of the top four, but their style of play is visibly transitioning towards something more stable, secure and confident. Having bought well in the summer window, the benefits are unlikely to be fully reaped until next season, something their boss and coaching staff know all too well. However, they are dreaming big and they desperately want to reach those zeniths once more.

Retaining the never-say-die attitude that has helped make them into such a hugely influential global brand, the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona chief is steering them back towards the self-assurance they once knew so well. That said, he’s also making sure they never stop moving in that direction.

At times against Manchester City, particularly in the opening 20 or so minutes, it was the Red Devils who cut the look of the home side. Battling for the ball with tenacity, giving their all to win back possession when it went astray, they were riled up for Sunday’s match; it was a real flashback to their style of old that used to strike fear into the hearts of the opposition.

Yet, the key factor is that it’s unlikely to just be an ode to their former selves, but rather something they can use to propel their trajectory upward. Far from a team that are sure of themselves, United are tentatively stepping back out into a sphere they’ve not inhabited for quite some time, and it shows.

However, Van Gaal is the best man for the job, and he can make this team great once again.

Trevor Murray is a soccer writer at www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on twitter @TrevorM90, ‘”like” him on Facebook or add him to your circles in Google+.

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