Legacy is a strange word in football. Big football clubs thrive on legacy as they keep their vast fan armies interested and invested in their future. Managers who make the rare shift from good to great imprint their own legacy on top clubs – Sir Alex at Manchester United and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal being prime examples.
But legacy can also have some tough side effects. Being enmeshed in tradition and the old way of playing, this word can actually make life difficult for a new manager as he starts thinking about making his own mark on the game. It can come in the way of new ideas, freshness and verve, a complete overhaul of the way the game is played. Like old habits, legacy is probably the toughest thing to tinker with!
At Manchester United, Louis Van Gaal is on the cusp of a new season – his second year in charge at one of the world’s biggest clubs. As he works steadfastly at his stated goal of bringing back the glory days – a job he is doing efficiently albeit quietly – somewhere at the back of his mind I feel he is also thinking about his own legacy which he wants to leave behind at this iconic soccer institution.
After he took over the ruins of a club hammered in the league and Europe two years ago, reeling after the heady Sir Alex years, his first season was always going to be about the long walk to recovery. And despite a less hectic schedule with no pressure of playing the Champions League to the end, LVG, to give him due credit, did not panic and brought United back into the top 4 of the Premier League. This, with a team which delivered only in fits and starts, without really threatening the leaders Chelsea at any stage. For LVG, it was always going to be a gradual process in spite of the pressure from the team owners and management to get the club back on track quickly.
So how has LVG stacked up so far this season as he builds his team?
The defence
Let’s start with the goalkeepers. While De Gea almost certainly wants to go to Madrid, United is playing a tough battle here as the entire Ramos saga showcased. Unless there is a dramatic last minute move, De Gea might be an unsettled No. 1 stopper for the season coming up.
LVG has made a smart move in getting the Argentine Sergio Romero as cover, given that Victor Valdes is definitely not in his scheme of things any more. The young Sam Johnstone had a good US tour, but will probably be pushed out on a loan deal again. But this story is yet to be played out in full, I suspect.
The defence has been a key discussion point now for quite some time. LVG tried and failed with the three-back option last season and reverted to the traditional back four – but the solidity which one expected from the likes of the new buys, Shaw and Rojo, did not materialize. The partnership between Smalling and Phil Jones did not look as solid as the Vidic-Ferdinand era, and Johnny Evans and Rafael hardly made an impact.
However, this time around, at least on the basis of the US tour, Shaw looks like a different player altogether, while Darmian is showing promise after moving from Italy. Daley Blind played well as an utility option on the left, and there is hope that Smalling and Jones might work well this year to seal a strong back four. There are some noises about the need for a strong central defender, but United might hold back on this for the time being. At least LVG has options this season, which is a good thing given the injury scares of 2014.
Further upfield
In the midfield, the big story has been of course Di Maria’s failure. Given all this problems settling in last year, it is probably just as wll that LVG has quickly taken a call to let go of this world class talent and probably shop around for a better option before the transfer window closes. He did get Schweinsteiger from Bayern – he should have a major impact this season if he can stay injury-free. What will be key here is the balance which a Mata and Herrera can strike, and whether they can bring in the much-needed creativity which was sorely missing last season.
Rooney, in all likelihood, will once again move up to play in a more forward role this season – but both Memphis Depay, who has made a strong impact on debut, and the sharply talented Brazilian youngster Andreas Pereira will surely get United fans quite excited as the opener against Tottenham looms large. Still, there is still need for a class striker at the top – a speedy, intelligent and sharp-shooting talent who would give United the extra edge in crunch matches.
Of course, there are whispers of Pedro moving from Barcelona. LVG, I am sure, is aware and shopping hard! Watch out for the possibility of a big name slipping in later in August.
It has been hard work but slowly and surely LVG is trying to get his chess pieces into place. He knows this will be a long season, and there will be potentially more matches with Champions League opportunities. He has been working to create covers for key positions and has not been afraid to take cold, hard calls where he has felt the need to. However, the challenge will be to bring back the magic of the Ferguson era in the way United play the game – something that has been seen only fleetingly all through last season.
As Van Gaal ponders his next move towards creating a lasting legacy, fans and football lovers will be waiting and watching to see if a new United can emerge this year from the ashes of the past. United fans had better be ready for some nailbiting moments all over again.
Rathindra Basu lives, breathes, sleeps sports and is forever waiting for the next Indian sporting triumph. Since this usually takes much time and infinite patience he also listens to music, reads voraciously and eats almost anything that moves.
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But legacy can also have some tough side effects. Being enmeshed in tradition and the old way of playing, this word can actually make life difficult for a new manager as he starts thinking about making his own mark on the game. It can come in the way of new ideas, freshness and verve, a complete overhaul of the way the game is played. Like old habits, legacy is probably the toughest thing to tinker with!
At Manchester United, Louis Van Gaal is on the cusp of a new season – his second year in charge at one of the world’s biggest clubs. As he works steadfastly at his stated goal of bringing back the glory days – a job he is doing efficiently albeit quietly – somewhere at the back of his mind I feel he is also thinking about his own legacy which he wants to leave behind at this iconic soccer institution.
After he took over the ruins of a club hammered in the league and Europe two years ago, reeling after the heady Sir Alex years, his first season was always going to be about the long walk to recovery. And despite a less hectic schedule with no pressure of playing the Champions League to the end, LVG, to give him due credit, did not panic and brought United back into the top 4 of the Premier League. This, with a team which delivered only in fits and starts, without really threatening the leaders Chelsea at any stage. For LVG, it was always going to be a gradual process in spite of the pressure from the team owners and management to get the club back on track quickly.
So how has LVG stacked up so far this season as he builds his team?
The defence
Let’s start with the goalkeepers. While De Gea almost certainly wants to go to Madrid, United is playing a tough battle here as the entire Ramos saga showcased. Unless there is a dramatic last minute move, De Gea might be an unsettled No. 1 stopper for the season coming up.
LVG has made a smart move in getting the Argentine Sergio Romero as cover, given that Victor Valdes is definitely not in his scheme of things any more. The young Sam Johnstone had a good US tour, but will probably be pushed out on a loan deal again. But this story is yet to be played out in full, I suspect.
The defence has been a key discussion point now for quite some time. LVG tried and failed with the three-back option last season and reverted to the traditional back four – but the solidity which one expected from the likes of the new buys, Shaw and Rojo, did not materialize. The partnership between Smalling and Phil Jones did not look as solid as the Vidic-Ferdinand era, and Johnny Evans and Rafael hardly made an impact.
However, this time around, at least on the basis of the US tour, Shaw looks like a different player altogether, while Darmian is showing promise after moving from Italy. Daley Blind played well as an utility option on the left, and there is hope that Smalling and Jones might work well this year to seal a strong back four. There are some noises about the need for a strong central defender, but United might hold back on this for the time being. At least LVG has options this season, which is a good thing given the injury scares of 2014.
Further upfield
In the midfield, the big story has been of course Di Maria’s failure. Given all this problems settling in last year, it is probably just as wll that LVG has quickly taken a call to let go of this world class talent and probably shop around for a better option before the transfer window closes. He did get Schweinsteiger from Bayern – he should have a major impact this season if he can stay injury-free. What will be key here is the balance which a Mata and Herrera can strike, and whether they can bring in the much-needed creativity which was sorely missing last season.
Rooney, in all likelihood, will once again move up to play in a more forward role this season – but both Memphis Depay, who has made a strong impact on debut, and the sharply talented Brazilian youngster Andreas Pereira will surely get United fans quite excited as the opener against Tottenham looms large. Still, there is still need for a class striker at the top – a speedy, intelligent and sharp-shooting talent who would give United the extra edge in crunch matches.
Of course, there are whispers of Pedro moving from Barcelona. LVG, I am sure, is aware and shopping hard! Watch out for the possibility of a big name slipping in later in August.
It has been hard work but slowly and surely LVG is trying to get his chess pieces into place. He knows this will be a long season, and there will be potentially more matches with Champions League opportunities. He has been working to create covers for key positions and has not been afraid to take cold, hard calls where he has felt the need to. However, the challenge will be to bring back the magic of the Ferguson era in the way United play the game – something that has been seen only fleetingly all through last season.
As Van Gaal ponders his next move towards creating a lasting legacy, fans and football lovers will be waiting and watching to see if a new United can emerge this year from the ashes of the past. United fans had better be ready for some nailbiting moments all over again.
Rathindra Basu lives, breathes, sleeps sports and is forever waiting for the next Indian sporting triumph. Since this usually takes much time and infinite patience he also listens to music, reads voraciously and eats almost anything that moves.