Van Gaal still knows how to make mischief
Louis van Gaal had his eye on the Belgium job back in 2016, with the Dutchman freshly sacked by Manchester united and the Belgians looking for a reset after flattering to deceive in yet another major tournament.
van Gaal liked the look of the golden generation of talent available and let it be known that his wife Truus was fond of the beachside resort of Knokke, where they are still planning to buy a property.
so when Roberto Martinez, who pipped him to the appointment six years ago, was dismissed on Thursday after a 0-0 draw with Croatia confirmed Belgium’s exit, it was put to the netherlands boss that he might still be interested. van Gaal being van Gaal, he was unable to resist. Even though it was the eve of the last-16 tie against the us, he encouraged the notion.
‘ Belgium is a wonderful country with really friendly people and Knokke is a wonderful beach town,’ smiled the 71-year-old. ‘i am always at liberty to take decisions myself but there are certain countries i won’t move to and my wife Truus won’t move to.
‘The players in their squad are really marvellous and we beat them the last two times but i can’t really judge them. They should have won and then they would have qualified. Football is not only about technique and tactics but also a bit of luck and the referee plays a part.’
almost as an afterthought, van Gaal added: ‘no, i am joking. We are here with the Dutch team. We want to become world champions and we have four matches ahead of us. Then we will see what opportunities are ahead of us.
‘if we do become world champions, everyone is so opportunistic in this football world there will be offers. But if i listen to the Dutch media, we will never be champions.’
van Gaal, who has been battling prostate cancer, will step down at the end of the tournament. He is in his third spell in the role, and says he only took the job because there was no one else available at the time.
He will be replaced by Ronald Koeman, but would love to leave with a grand statement, a reminder perhaps of his intellect and coaching acumen. under his guidance, the Dutch reached the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup, losing against argentina on penalties. Then, as now, there was criticism of his cautious style, devoid of traditional Dutch flair, but they are unbeaten since he returned in august 2021, and won Group a.
‘over the years you evaluate the playing style and the risks attached,’ said van Gaal. ‘i applied the lessons learned and this has got to do with the qualities of your players and your opponents and the vision. slowly, that evolved into a less
attacking style and more a style of winning.’ He recalled a chastening lesson when in charge of Barcelona, 3-0 up against valencia when he lost 4-3, saying: ‘There are moments in time that as a head coach you have to reflect and see if it is a sensible thing to continuously attack.’
if his football can be dry, his media appearances are unmissable, not least for his determination to take issue with questions posed. one asked if he thought a free draw for the last 16 of the World Cup might be better than the current system, where the Group a winners know they will face the Group B runners-up, for example. ‘Rubbish,’ was the retort.
He declined to discuss usa full back sergio Dest, who was born in the netherlands and played for ajax, on the grounds that he could not help being honest when talking about players and might say something he would regret.
as for a game when usa boss Gregg Berhalter played for sparta Rotterdam and they pulled off a shock by beating van Gaal’s ajax in 1997, he claimed he couldn’t remember.
‘ i don’t live in the past,’ said van Gaal. ‘i live in the present and the future and now i might be making plans for Belgium for instance.’ Berhalter said: ‘i think he remembers. Being that competitive, he has to
remember.’