Louis van Gaal rules by fear! Ronald Koeman has a dig at Manchester United manager
22:30, 23 February 2015 By David McDonnell
Southampton boss says his fellow Dutchman is not a man manager like himself and the players are too scared to play for Red Devils
Louis van Gaal has been accused of striking fear in his Manchester United players with his demanding and combative style.
Van Gaal’s arch rival, Southampton boss Ronald Koeman, accused his fellow Dutchman of managing with an iron fist and suggested that approach could ultimately be counter-productive at United, who are struggling to secure a top-four spot.
Koeman was Van Gaal’s assistant at Barcelona, before the pair had a major fall-out, with the warring former colleagues who were not on speaking terms now rival bosses in the Premier League.
United suffered a major blow to their hopes of securing a top-four place with Saturday’s shock 2-1 defeat at Swansea, which has put further pressure on Van Gaal.
And Koeman did not hold back in his brutal assessment of Van Gaal’s management style, claiming the 63-year-old generates conflict with his players, which does not always yield positive results.
“When you bring Van Gaal in the house, you bring in quality,” said the Saints boss. “But you also bring in someone who thinks he knows everything. And that will cause clashes.
“There is a big difference between him and and me as managers. I was his assistant at Barcelona after the World Cup in 1998. I learned a lot of things from him.
“But the way he handles his players is totally different from the way I work. I don’t put as much pressure on the shoulder of players.
“When you have Van Gaal in charge, it is a fact that there is fear in his team. The players have a fear for mister Van Gaal. That is not always good.”
Koeman believes Van Gaal’s hard-line approach can only last so long and United will have to appoint a coach with a less abrasive style one his tenure comes to an end.
“After Van Gaal coached the Dutch national team at the World Cup, the Dutch federation had to decide to bring in a manager who would bring in a soft touch,” said Koeman.
“The players needed an arm around their shoulder. A manager who is calmer than Van Gaal.’’
Van Gaal is under contract at United for two more seasons, but his future will come under scrutiny if he cannot deliver an immediate return to the Champions League with a top-four place.
United are still waiting to learn the full extent of the injury Robin van Persie suffered in the defeat at Swansea. The Dutch striker left the Liberty Stadium on crutches and with his right foot in a protective plastic cast following the injury.
Although Van Persie has since discarded the protective boot, the striker is still using crutches to move around and is almost certain to miss United’s Premier League clash with Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday.
, he would have gotten plenty of playing time to get used to the new league.
