When special trackers are being fitted to emails to make sure that they’re being read, you know that the relationship has become strained.
Louis van Gaal has overseen his final game as Manchester United manager and despite going out on a high, his reign will forever be remembered as a damp squib.
As Jose Mourinho begins formulating training plans in his head for his imminent appointment as van Gaal’s successor, reports are beginning to filter out from Old Trafford about just how flared tempers had risen between the Dutchman and his squad.
One of the more unusual stories has emerged from Daniel Taylor’s Guardian article about how van Gaal’s tactics, and his stubborn refusal to change them, drove some members of the team to breaking point.
Apparently, after complaints from senior players about the public dressing downs that the 64-year-old began resorting to in his infamous ‘evaluation sessions’, van Gaal began sending personal emails to the players in which he would critique their performances.
“A lot of the players were so disillusioned many ignored the emails or redirected them straight to their trash. Van Gaal suspected as much and had a tracker fitted so he could check if the emails were opened and for how long.
“It became a game of cat and mouse. Some players opened the emails on their mobiles, then left their phones on the side and wandered off for 20 minutes.”
The report also references individual grievances between players and the divisive manager as Ashley Young is said to have been “bemused and mildly horrified” when he learned that he would be utilised as an emergency centre-forward due to lack of options.
Taylor stops short of mentioning certain players by name but claims that various team members began to ignore the bizarre rule set up by van Gaal that required his strikers to always take a touch before shooting at goal.
One of the most fascinating aspects of van Gaal’s tenure with which one could see the gradual decline in the relationship between he and the club came with the body language between himself and assistant manager Ryan Giggs.
Giggs had been left in the awkward position of trying to remain loyal to the club he holds dear to his heart but to do so with a playing philosophy he doesn’t believe in.
His tactical input waned in recent times and, according to Taylor, Giggs’ strategic offerings were restricted to practice matches.
“Every Thursday, United had an 11-versus-11 practice match and it was Giggs’s role to set up one side in the formation of the team they were about to face and talk about set pieces.
“Beyond that, however, he did not have a significant say in tactics and was unable to convince Van Gaal to switch to a more entertaining style of football.”
