Why Louis van Gaal’s appointment isn’t ideal for Manchester United

It’s a crucial summer in Manchester United’s history and they have recently appointed a decent coach with a proven track record in Louis van Gaal.

But the club needs to have a blinder in this transfer window if they are to once more scale the heights of domestic and European preeminence.

It would be completely out of character, and thoroughly insulting, to suggest that Van Gaal will be anything other than uber-professional in his management of the Dutch squad in Brazil. He will conduct the campaign with 100% focus and the meticulous attitude for which he is famous.

But the farther Holland go in The World Cup the less time Van Gaal will have to make his pre-season preparations at Manchester United. And the less time he will have to add the personal touch to transfer dealings.

You may think that 6 weeks is easily enough time to prepare a squad and do your transfer business. But David Moyes failed with a similar time frame after he took over in July 2013.

But Van Gaal may well look to his Dutch squad for Manchester United signings anyway, so this will partly offset the difficulty of juggling both jobs.

But, however many Holland stars he wants to sign, other signings will required and it’s these negotiations, or lack of, that may worry Manchester United fans.

After fumbling through the last two windows Manchester United have to get this one right. The biggest worry is that players like the peerless Luke Shaw will be tempted by another club if United drag their heels over a transfer. Manchester United currently need players like Luke Shaw more than Luke Shaw needs United.

He’s going to be one of the best left backs in the world and he will certainly be snapped up by another club before long if Manchester United don’t get it sorted.

Van Gaal is clearly a super coach but, ideally, Manchester United would have a manager on hand at the club throughout the summer to steer the transfer business at first hand and make sure that last season’s debacle is a one off.

So while we don’t doubt the quality of the new Manchester United manager we think that these time constraints may work against him.