5 Systems Man Utd Could Play Under Van Gaal

Since the appointment of former Netherlands coach as Manchester United manager, it has been difficult to escape the name Louis van Gaal. Having led numerous footballing giants to glory, namely Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Ajax, the Dutchman has taken plenty of inspiration from his previous superiors, either during his playing days or once he shifted his focus to the inner working of the dug-out. His past tenures at the Amsterdam ArenA have imbued Van Gaal's philosophy with inflections of the 'Total Voetbal' style of play made effective by Rinus Michels, while his own judgements based on his available personnel have then lead to alterations, sometimes turning out for the better, others times proving detrimental. Before the World Cup in Brazil, Van Gaal analysed his options. Choosing to select many of his personnel from Feyenoord, while also opting to shape up in a 3-4-1-2 assumed by the Eredivisie side during last season, it wasn't a typical Dutch line-up from the Netherlands coach. The press were sceptical and perhaps slightly pessimistic, but the flexibility with which Van Gaal went about his task was admirable. As such, chop and change can be expected at Old Trafford, whether it be in fluid and changeable formations, or reactionary tweaks based on the opposition - here are five possible systems that the Dutchman might employ.