Thank you Van Gaal Thread

All of us had huge expectations from LVG, given he was one of the best coaches of his generation, and while it's undoubtedly been a big disappointment I am thankful to LVG for a few things:

1.Getting us straight back into the top 4 after we finished 7th under Moyes.

2. Getting rid of the dead wood. While one could well argue that he went overboard in this regard, or didn't replace those players, if we are to become a top side, a lot of those did have to go. And given we had a great track record of holding on to mediocrity at the time, actually buying the bullet was the right call on a number of those playwrs.

3. Promoting youth. He went for a trim squad by choice and gave our youth every chance to fill the holes in our squad. Its been great to see the likes of Lingard, Rashford, CBJ, Varela and TFM making strong impressions on the big stage.

4. Our agility to keep the ball. While we never mastered the ability to move the ball with penetration in the opponent's third/last quarter, we have become a far far better side under LVG at monopolizing possession. This will help us in the future.

5. Defensive discipline. Despite the three miserable trips to London this season, we're improved by leaps and bounds as a defensive unit. Blind a CB has been a resounding access abd we actually defend as a proper unit these days. Well done here too.

6. Even though the league season was rubbish this time round, one marked change between Moyes' United and LVG's United is the unity, spirit and character of the team. We've pulled together for games under LVG the way we never were in 13/14. Had this been that team yesterday that went a goal down or a man down, we would just caved in and barelt bothered. I feel were more like our old selves in this regard. The team plays for LVG.

7. And most importantly, the FA cup. The 12 year wait for this cup, and 3 year wait for any trophy of significance, is over. Its hugely important for this club to remember how to win trophies and ensure that habit is not completely lost even if things arent ideal.

So all in all, while the football and results under Van Gaal have been disappointing, I am grateful to him for a number of things, those that are tangible (trophy, baby) and those that are not, all of which should help us in the coming years.
 
Everything made so classy!!! I think everyone can leave this agreement with their heads up.

First of all I wish to thank Louis Van Gaal for the foundatioin he's given us. A couple of years down the line we will realize just what a great team was coming.

Yes, we didn't succeed with the goals, but just look at our defense. It's not easy to let that few goals in. I also believe he was in a process, like he wants to call it. Next season he might have had the chance to build an attacking force. I don't know what happened to the text I just wrote but it turned smaller. However, he's gone now and it's a happy ending. I wish him all the best in the future.
 
FA cup win and martial are only things he deserves some praise and thanks for. He leaves behind a lot of problems and no real foundations for success, he tried his best but I think he was just too outdated and negative to be successful.
 
Thank you LVG. I loved your personality. Shame it didn't fully work out with you but you are now a permanent part of our history and have won the oldest and still in my eyes greatest cup competition in the world.
 
Gambit said:
Thank you LVG. I loved your personality. Shame it didn't fully work out with you but you are now a permanent part of our history and have won the oldest and still in my eyes greatest cup competition in the world.
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I agree with you, @Gambit ... I love his personality too. And I want to thank him, and wish him good luck in whatever future path he chooses.
 
A fascinating, frustrating and sometimes crazy man.

Dispite whatever I think about the philosophy and his tactics I think we would have made a better fist of it if we hadn't had so many injuries. I'm happy for him he went out with a cup.

I didn't want Jose but I'll support him the same as I did Louis.
 
Gambit said:
Thank you LVG. I loved your personality. Shame it didn't fully work out with you but you are now a permanent part of our history and have won the oldest and still in my eyes greatest cup competition in the world.
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A lot on here and fans outside were not convinced when he got the job and I suppose they have been proved correct, but bloody hell did I want him to succeed. Even when he was failing I never disliked him as a person. It was like a breath of fresh air when he strode in. I wanted him out in the end (although it took me some time to get there) but no way, for me, does he leave with a nasty taste in the mouth as I had, and still do, with Moyes. He gave me some laughs, he's gave me the joy of winning the FA Cup after a 12 year gap but unfortunately he also delivered dull football for the majority of the time.

One thing I will miss are all those funny creative vines with him staring. His whole personality lends itself so well to those.
 
Farewell Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal.

Thank you. Danke je.
 
Never really clicked for him I feel, which also has to do with his way of working and setting up teams. Still though, mostly behaved himself correctly and although the results might not have shown it, he did give it his all for the club I feel. Thanks Louis!
 
Thanks for the FA Cup, beating a cocky Arsenal side - who appeared confident of winning the league - with a 10th choice side, for buying Martial and for Rashford.

Bye, now.
 
Whilst I may be glad at his departure... I'll still have some fond memories from his tenure and I'm pleased he managed to leave on the high of an FA Cup victory.

All the best Louis.
 
I've always liked and respected Van Gaal even before he joined us. He can leave with his head held high for winning us the FA Cup. Enjoy your retirement Louis!
 
Thank you and all the best. While it didn't work out well enough, at least we won trophy in your second season.
 
ZupZup said:
Whilst I may be glad at his departure... I'll still have some fond memories from his tenure and I'm pleased he managed to leave on the high of an FA Cup victory.

All the best Louis.
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This. Feels good to say it now. Would have turned ugly if he was allowed to finish his contract.
 
There seems to be a lot of personal, unneccesary hatred for LvG. I hope if he does get another job with a team that comes to Old Trafford that he will get a decent reception.
Whilst 4th & 5th finishes in the bigger picture (considering United in the PL era) might not seem that great, he came in at a very difficult time. Arguably more difficult than Moyes because we were in danger of becoming a revolving door club for managers. But considering our 7th finish the season before he took over, has his reign been a catastrophic failure? I think it would be harsh to say so. I think we should be grateful to LvG for his efforts and the legacy he leaves will be giving so much youth a chance at first team football, and of course the Cup. Who knows how different things would have been if we could have just hung on at West Ham.
 
Will look back at LVG's time with mixed feelings, but I'm sure over time wounds will heal and we will look back at the positives:

  • Steadying the ship post Moyes (We seriously could have been on the brink after that)
  • Clearing out the deadwood from the squad
  • Bringing through some top youth talent: Rashford, CBJ, Fosu-Mensa, Lingard etc.
  • Adding some depth to the squad. Yes a lot of money has been spent, but after the clear-out we needed squad players as well as world class talent
  • Martial
  • Winning mentality in the 'big games'
  • European football back at OT
  • Most importantly, delivering the first major trophy since SAF, which in itself is a huge and something we can hopefully build from
Yes the football was dull for large parts, and we had some awful losing streaks against weaker sides, but he leaves us in a better place than when he came in, and with the young squad off the back of winning the FA Cup, you have to feel that his successor is picking up the reigns at a good time to push us to the next level.
 
Our defensive stability became much stronger despite having on paper a much worse defence than recent years. No consistent RB, a winger, a new signing from a foreign league and two under 21's (TFM and Varela), Blind playing his first year at CB and Rojo who's best position is CB and who was frequently injured rotating with CBJ in his first senior season so you have to give him credit for that.

The youngsters he promoted can do wonders for the club if used correctly by Mourinho. People have questioned whether LvG was forced to play the youngsters due to him having a small squad but that was his choice as in a season, injuries always happens and he was happy for youngsters to step in when this was the case rather than having a squad of 25 senior players. Rashford, TFM, CBJ, Varela all did very well and could be here for a long time. Despite this, Pereira and Januzaj are our two best youngsters and they received hardly any game time under LvG.
 
He's had a cracking career in football, really. It's hard to maintain relevance at the top level for such a long period of time, even in spite of the sticky endings throughout.

It didn't work out, and we needed to let him go, but there are parts of is tenure I'll remember fondly.
 
It's a pity it ended in tears, he was a likable guy but it just didn't work out. Thanks for bringing through the youth and the FA Cup. Best of luck.
 
Thanks Louis. Your past record was good but your methods antiquated in today's football. Bye.

Apparently when they told him today, when he tried to walk out of the door he couldn't - he could only move backwards or sideways...........
 
LvG has sure had positives since he's been here, so thanks for;
  • Getting Martial
  • Giving plenty of youth a chance and finding some gems hiding in our youth setup
  • Buying top-class players (even if they regularly didn't work out, I don't think that can be all blamed on him)
  • Being a nice guy (at Carrington he was the only one to pull over to sign stuff and chat, he didn't even seem in a rush as we were talking)
  • Being hilarious (pressers and randomly diving at the side of the pitch)
  • Building a squad that, while flawed, doesn't really need a lot adding to it to be competing for the title and is pretty young on average
  • Getting some surprising wins against some rivals
I believe if he'd been more adventurous with his tactics we'd be singing his praises. I struggle to understand why we stopped attacking at the beginning of the season really, but ultimately that was the main thing he did wrong.
 
We had a lot of good moments with him, last year towards the end was looking pretty positive. Unfortunately this year something changed and he seemed to lose his swagger. The fun press conferences and the end of season speech will always be a fun point, and of course winning us the cup.

I wish him well for the future, but I am pleased he's been moved on, as it just wasn't working.
 
Thanks for trying your best, Louis, and I'm sorry I posted that pic of you with rockets attached to your back in the Send-off thread.
 
Bye-smiley.png

Don't forget us.
 
Thanks for winning us the FA Cup .Never believed your style of football would work in the PL and to change the mindset of the club and players would have taken some doing.
 
Liked him a lot from a personal point of view. He had to go, wish it was done better and wish him all the very best.

Thanks for the FA Cup and Martial, and the rest of the young guys you brought in to the first team.

Don't forget to give that wanker banker Woody a thump on your way out - bastard deserves it for being a classless cock. Otherwise, good luck.
 
Thanks lvg. You signed martial and brought @Gambit and @Mockney to post again.

Ah yes you also won that 4th priority cup
 
Ta LVG, first silverware since SAF. Also, he did good work with treating the press like the fat, whining sleazy bitches they are.
 
Louis, thanks. You will always be welcome back in the stands of Old Trafford, where you will be no more animated than you were on the bench running the team.
 
Gambit said:
Thank you LVG. I loved your personality. Shame it didn't fully work out with you but you are now a permanent part of our history and have won the oldest and still in my eyes greatest cup competition in the world.
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This. Would have loved to see him becoming a real success but it didn't work out and in that case, a change is needed. However, he was the first manager after SAF to win us any silverware (and I love the FA cup) so I guess it's not the worse end to his reign (apart from how it was dealt with by the media right after winning the cup).

All the best to ya, LVG.
 
Hopefully he's built a base to work off and at least left us with the taste for winning again.

Shame it didn't work out, but also a shame how absolutely bored of football he made me.

Adios, and all the best.
 
Parry Gallister said:
Ta LVG, first silverware since SAF. Also, he did good work with treating the press like the fat, whining sleazy bitches they are.
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This! Bitch slapping them all the way:lol:
 
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