LVG insists he is not a dictator as De Gea stays on big-money deal

LOUIS VAN GAAL has insisted he is not a dictator and is open to change after a warning from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick that the Manchester United dressing-room has gone ‘flat’. The manager admitted to being alarmed by the concerns of two senior players over his regimented approach, but claimed he still has a good relationship with the squad. The issue overshadows the build-up to today’s clash with arch-rivals Liverpool, and goalkeeper David de Gea signing a new longterm contract at United following the collapse of his move to Real Madrid. Van Gaal said: ‘I am not a dictator, I am a communicator. Rooney and Carrick, the captains, came to me and said, “The dressing-room is flat. We want to say that to you to help you”. ‘So I communicated not only with my captains, who tried to warn me, I went to the dressing-room and tried to communicate with my players. We discussed a lot of aspects. ‘I have a superb relationship with my players. As a manager, I’ve never had so many players come to say something about the atmosphere in the dressing-room, about the way we train. ‘But now it was Carrick and Rooney and that was alarming for me because they are the captains. That’s why I went to the dressing-room.’ The players’ worries centred on the Dutchman’s rigid tactics and analytical approach to games, with his numerous meetings said to be affecting morale. It has been mirrored on the pitch, with United lacking a spark and scoring just three goals in four Premier League games so far. But Van Gaal claims that he has listened to his players and changed aspects of United’s prematch preparations. ‘I have changed the way that I say the game-plan to them, for example. Now I ask in advance and they can say what they want,’ he added. ‘They have to explain why and how, and then I’ll listen. Not only will I listen, but my assistants are listening, and then we discuss it. And then I have to change it. ‘I could not (see it before) because normally the coach doesn’t come into the dressing-room. It’s protected for the players and they do what they want.’ Van Gaal believes the uncertainty surrounding De Gea, combined with the high turnover of players during his first 14 months in charge, is to blame for unsettling the dressingroom. He added: ‘Last year we sold and released 11 players. This year 14 players. We bought five or six last year and now six. The whole dressing-room has been changed. Can you imagine when your friend leaves, what are your feelings? ‘Then we had problems with Victor Valdes and the transfer of De Gea, who has a great influence in the dressing-room, which is why it was flat. There are only nine players left of the (original) group. I bought the other players and they won’t say I’m a lousy manager. The fans shout every week, “Louis van Gaal’s army”, so the fans and players are very satisfied with me.’ De Gea completed a remarkable turnaround yesterday by signing a new four-year contract at United worth £200,000 a week with the option of a 12-month extension. It is the same deal that he rejected in anticipation of joining Real Madrid, but the £29million move collapsed with the two clubs accusing each other of errors over the paperwork. Asked if De Gea could play for the first time this season against Liverpool today, Van Gaal said: ‘Now his head is empty and he can focus on the match. It’s a big change to the three or four weeks before that. I hope I can see that in the training sessions, so I can give him his first line-up position.’ The goalkeeper urged Van Gaal to recall him yesterday, saying: ‘It is a perfect moment to come back and at Old Trafford, with the fans and against Liverpool, one of the biggest games in the world.’