1 Louis van Gaal

Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United reign has got off to a losing start, but supporters should not be too concerned.

The Dutchman is renowned for making slow starts at new clubs and himself has admitted it will take three months for United’s players to adapt to his new philosophy.

In his first managerial role at Ajax, there were calls for him to be replaced by Johan Cruyff just a few months into the job. He went on to lead them to a host of major honours, including the Eredivisie [on three occasions], the UEFA Cup and the Champions League.

It was a similar story at Bayern Munich after he took charge of the German side in the summer of 2009. Just one win in his first four games saw Van Gaal come under immediate pressure. But he stuck to his principles, introducing youngsters such as Thomas Müller and Holger Badstuber, and also converted Bastian Schweinsteiger from a winger into a central midfielder. Bayern went on to win the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal.

So, fear not United fans, Van Gaal’s record suggests he won’t be a loser for long!