• Premier League

Van Gaal makes players fear him, says Koeman

Louis van Gaal asserts his authority on a dressing room by striking fear into his players, according to Southampton manager Ronald Koeman.

Koeman worked with the Manchester United boss as a player and a coach at Barcelona, but the duo fell out when they filled the respective roles of head coach and sporting director at Ajax.

"When you bring Van Gaal in the house, you bring in quality, but you also bring in someone who thinks he knows everything and that will cause clashes," Koeman said in the Daily Mirror.

"There is a big difference between him and me as managers. I was his assistant at Barcelona after the World Cup in 1998. I learned a lot of things from him, but the way he handles his players is totally different from the way I work. I don't put as much pressure on the shoulder of players.

"When you have Van Gaal in charge, it is a fact that there is fear in his team. The players have a fear for Mr Van Gaal. That is not always good."

United's 2-1 defeat at Swansea left them 13 points off the top as Arsenal leapfrogged them into fourth place, with Koeman's Southampton a point behind and Liverpool two points back in sixth.

Last month, the Southampton boss had laughed off his old foe's suggestion that it could take United three years to get back to their best, claiming Van Gaal has the players to challenge for the title this season.

Van Gaal had made the claim when, after leaving his post as Netherlands boss following the World Cup to try and bring back success to Old Trafford after David Moyes' dismal reign, United made their worst start since 1986 - despite spending more than £150 million in the summer.

Koeman went on to suggest the Dutch Football Federation were eager to appoint a less confrontational character following Van Gaal's departure, with his name mentioned before the job was handed to the experienced Guus Hiddink.

"After Van Gaal coached the Dutch national team at the World Cup, the Dutch federation had to decide to bring in a manager who would bring in a soft touch," suggested Koeman.

"The players needed an arm around their shoulder. A manager who is calmer than Van Gaal."

Ronald Koeman says his approach to coaching is far different to Louis van Gaal's © Getty Images

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