Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has revealed that his new manager Louis van Gaal has a very ‘strict’ regime and says that the Manchester United manager has built a team that only needs to score one goal to win.
Van Gaal has been under a lot of scrutiny recently due to the style of football he makes the team play. Gone are the days of Fergie’s flying wingers – trademark United. The Dutchman is still yet to win over several fans after more than a year in charge.
Last week it was reported that Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick approached the boss, complaining of a ‘flat’ dressing room.
Schneiderlin says old manager Koeman and Van Gaal’s passing style of play is similar to that of their former club, Barcelona:
“Both want their team to play with the ball on the ground, which is a trademark for them,” he told So Foot. “After all, they are two managers who have known Barcelona, either as a player or as a coach.”
“Therefore, they want us to build from the back.”
“After that, in their man management, Koeman is more relaxed, whereas Van Gaal is more strict, and he is very big on tactics.”
“I thought it was important to speak with the coach before choosing my next club. We called each other when I was on holiday. It lasted around half an hour, and we only spoke about football.”
“The more personal questions came a bit later, when we met. He explained his project, his ambitions and that my style of play would suit the team. He also wanted to know if I was mentally ready to make this step, because there’s a lot of pressure, and if I had the right attitude.
“Basically, he showed his trust in me, without guaranteeing me a first-team spot, obviously.”
“I have to protect my defence,” said Schneiderlin.
“I have a pivoting role with Michael Carrick, who is a great player with the ball and knows how to dictate the game.”
“After that, we have four great players ahead of us, so we’re more there for support, to feed them, and leaving them to do their magic.”
“With time, I’ll start shooting from distance again, but the most important for us is to not concede any goals, meaning that we only need to score one to get the three points.”
[Quotes via Manchester Evening News]
United have longed for a midfielder like Morgan Schneiderlin, the French international brings a completely different game to the side that we haven’t seen since the days of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane. Alongside Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger, two of the most complete midfielders in the game, United’s midfield has to go down as one of the best in Europe.
As for Van Gaal, who knows if the Dutchman has ‘lost the dressing room’ like many have suggested. The boss is in the process of building a team that can win things. The quality is there in the squads ranks, but it’s important to remember that with new signings comes a period of settling in.