Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. Louis Van Gaal has quickly changed that.
|||
Nothing will have gladdened Louis van Gaal more this season than what happened in the aftermath of Manchester United’s third and final goal against Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
No sooner had Robin van Persie expertly headed in Wayne Rooney’s pinpoint diagonal cross than the Dutchman turned to his team-mate, pointed at him in gratitude before they embraced like old friends.
It hasn’t always been like that. Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes couldn’t get two of the most talented players in the Premier League to put aside their egos, and felt forced to take sides.
Ferguson was a Van Persie man to the extent that Rooney ended up hellbent on trying to move to Chelsea. Moyes was a Rooney man, leaving Van Persie’s friends angry that their striker was being over-trained in spite of being vulnerable to injuries.
As he prepares to enter a cauldron at White Hart Lane today — Van Gaal spurned Tottenham earlier this year once the opportunity arose at Old Trafford — the Dutchman can be proud of his biggest achievement at his new club, making Van Persie and Rooney live up to the United part of their club’s name.
Rooney has been given the captain’s armband that Van Persie coveted, RVP has the main centre-forward’s position that Wayne coveted. And it hasn’t seemed to cause any ill-feeling.
Against Newcastle, Van Persie peeled wide from his No 9 berth to give Rooney the space to run from deep and score twice in the first half. Rooney then unselfishly planted a ball on top of Van Persie’s head to set up a 3-1 victory.
Remember, this was a pairing who passed to each other only once in the entire 90 minutes against Olympiakos in the Champions League first leg last season — and that was from a kick off. They didn’t even celebrate goals together at times.
The word Van Gaal uses often to try and explain the camaraderie inside the United camp after seven wins and a draw in their past eight matches is ‘social’. It means a set of players who are happy to work and play together, only interested on the pitch in benefitting the team rather than themselves.
‘The attitude of my players is excellent and they have a very high social standard,’ says Van Gaal. ‘That is very important because football is a team sport between co-operating human beings. You have to be social. We have a high social standard in the team. Wherever I am in my career, I shall guide and manage the team in a social way of treating each other. It is also part of my philosophy. I cannot explain that in one page, it is a lot of pages. If you read my book, it is all in it.
‘Rooney and Van Persie are very social players. They have trained together already for six months this season so it is normal they shall improve. When we are half a year further on, it shall improve even more. That’s why we have training.’
The simplicity of the message makes you wonder why Ferguson and Moyes could not pull off the same trick, particularly when the pair’s children attend the same school, to help their off-field relationship.
Van Gaal has managed some of the biggest names in football with Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Holland, so he has made solving one or two personal issues at United look a doddle. Rooney is happy to play in midfield for the team, Van Persie respects Rooney as his captain.
Van Persie says of his relationship with the manager: ‘I worked with Van Gaal for two years with Holland so I knew how he trained. I knew exactly what to expect. He warned me after the World Cup that it would take time for me to get there (top form) but I would be very very fit.
‘I am feeling very well now, which I wasn’t at the start of the season. So he’s right. Every single player, when you are working under Van Gaal, is balancing on the edge — physically and mentally you are concentrating every single minute of the day. He expects us to think about football just before we go to bed as well. It is very intense. But I love it and it is a very good way.
‘Straight away when he got the job, I realised it would be very intense years but great years as well, because of the way he trains. Every session he puts on there is always an idea and he explains himself well.’
Former player Andy Cole noted in Friday’s match programme that United seem a happier club.
Van Gaal agrees: ‘I think so, I think when you win six times in a row, and you draw, and you win again, then the spirit is fantastic. I think there is happiness in the club because we are together working for one goal. We have a very good communication between all the employees in Manchester United and that is very important.
‘And we can celebrate parties, Christmas parties, and that is also important. We can work but we can also celebrate and that is very good.’
Of course, in-form Tottenham will provide a sterner test than an understrength Newcastle did. Spurs fans will remember the club thought Van Gaal was going to be their new boss until United fluttered their eyelids while he was at his holiday home in Portugal and prompted a *-turn.
Van Gaal is expecting a hot reception but it does not bother him.
‘I cannot change that. I don’t have any influence on it so I won’t make any trouble with them (Spurs fans). I’ve managed with this kind of thing at a lot of clubs. The summer is history. We have to play and speak about what is happening now. Now it is (Mauricio) Pochettino, the new manager, and I am the new manager of Manchester United.’
Of greater concern will be Tottenham’s run of four wins in a row under Pochettino, who eventually filled the vacancy from Southampton. In particular, Christian Eriksen has been a major influence, making those who thought he would be too lightweight for the Premier League look foolish.
‘That theory is rubbish, always rubbish,’ said Van Gaal. ‘When you have high standards you can play in the Premier League. When you’re good on the ball, you can play, and Eriksen is good on the ball. It doesn’t matter when you are less physical, not so tall or wide. Did you see Juan Mata for us against Newcastle? Two great assists. I think the selection of Tottenham is a high-standard selection so it’s normal they’re doing well.’
Angel di Maria’s pelvic strain means he is likely to miss out along with Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind. Van Gaal is also opposed having to play 48 hours after United’s previous game, something Uefa and Fifa do not allow in their competitions. Even so, as long as he has Van Persie and Rooney singing from the same hymn-sheet, Van Gaal will fancy his side’s chances at the club he could have joined. – Mail On Sunday
from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://www.iol.co.za/van-gaal-has-rooney-rvp-in-harmony-1.1799397
