Koeman had advantages. He had more friends in the media. He was also much shrewder at surfing the turbulent political currents that you find at big clubs. Having made his feud with Van Gaal public, he then approached the Ajax board and gave them an ultimatum: either Van Gaal went, or he went. He gambled that Ajax would not discard a popular young manager who had won the double in 2002, and was proved right. Van Gaal was forced out.