• Premier League

Van Gaal will want £200m to rebuild United

ESPN staff
May 3, 2014
This summer is huge for Manchester United, says Ryan Giggs

Louis van Gaal is the "perfect" replacement for David Moyes at Manchester United - but he will want £200 million to rebuild the squad, according to Dutch coach Raymond Verheijen.

Verheijen, who worked with Van Gaal in the Netherlands youth set-up, revealed that his compatriot can attract the big players despite the club missing out on Champions League qualification.

"Van Gaal is extremely keen to take a job in the Premier League," Verheijen told the Daily Mirror. "He is a team builder from scratch and like a teacher. I think he would be perfect for Manchester United.

Van Gaal has a 'brilliant reputation'

Ryan Giggs failed to commit to his Manchester United future on Friday © PA Photos
  • Ryan Giggs has revealed he is an admirer of prospective Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, saying the Dutchman has a "fantastic pedigree".
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  • Meanwhile, Giggs refused to commit to his future at the club on Friday, saying he is just concentrating on finishing the season strongly as interim manager.
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"The fact there could be as much as £200 million to spend on new players is a huge attraction.

If most of that money had already been spent in the last year then I think it would have been less interesting to take this job. Then he might have to deal with players he might not have bought himself."

Verheijen, a consultant at the World Football Academy, knows British football well having worked alongside Gary Speed at Wales and at Manchester City when Mark Hughes was in charge.

And he was United's fiercest critic when they appointed Moyes to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson - branding the former Everton manager a "dinosaur coach".

"You really wonder if the people who are responsible at Man United are actually doing their homework," he added. "I don't think it is so much the problem and responsibility of David Moyes.

"But if the people at United had done their homework they would never have appointed David Moyes, they would have appointed someone else.

"When you are managing Man United you need different tactical qualities to when you are an underdog like Everton. It has to do with tactical flexibility.

"I questioned the appointment last May and in the next few months made several predictions about what I was expecting.

"They won their first league game 4-1 at Swansea and everyone was happy. But during that game I questioned the tactics of Man United. The tactical problems were already clear.

"Swansea were playing 4-3-3 with three midfielders and Man United were 4-4-2 with a flat midfield. The holding midfielder of Swansea was totally free. This problem reappeared at several times this season. There is a reason why Man United had a better away record than home record.

"If you play away you can almost play like Everton, sit back a little bit and counter-attack because the home team will give away more space. But at home you have to break down the defensive wall of the opponent and have tactical flexibility."

Raymond Verheijen worked with the late Gary Speed and the Wales national team © PA Photos
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