LATE LAST YEAR, Louis van Gaal spoke to FIFA in what was a wide-ranging interview.
As interest in the Dutchman ramps up ahead of his likely appointment as Manchester United manager later this week, the content is even more ripe for analysis.
The former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach outlines how it’s his philosophy that sets him apart from others and that many of his former players have been fascinated by his approach which he describes as “attacking, technical and tactical”.
According to van Gaal, his vision is the most important aspect and he isn’t interested in individuals who can’t slot into his 4-3-3 system.
Carrying a reputation as a developer of talent, van Gaal backs that up by saying he has little concern selecting a younger player as long as they are comfortable playing in a certain style. He also references his time in Bavaria and how he brought Thomas Mueller, Holger Badstuber and David Alaba into the senior Bayern side and watched them prosper.
Interestingly, van Gaal discusses the process of selecting a captain, how it’s his decision not the players’ and why he needs to admire the chosen one before handing him the armband. Van Gaal says that what he looks for in a skipper is professionalism, ambition and an honest personality.