Van Gaal unveiled as Manchester United manager

July 17, 2014
By: Deke Hardman

Louis van Gaal

Louis van Gaal today held his first press conference as Manchester United manager, and while he was reluctant to predict any immediate success at Old Trafford, he was sure to remind everybody of the roll of honours he has collected so far in his career.

The Dutchman has won league titles in each of the three countries in which he has managed so far; in his native Netherlands with both Ajax and AZ Alkmaar, in Spain with Barcelona and in Germany with Bayern Munich while he also clinched cup competitions with each of those sides, bar AZ.

He is also a European Cup winning coach having guided Ajax to the famous trophy in 1995 while most recently, he took his country to third place at the World Cup finals in Brazil, beating the hosts 3-0 in a play-off at the weekend.

Despite a busy summer, the 62 year old refused to take a holiday and chose to immediately begin work in his position as manager of, as he put it himself, the biggest club in the world.

United go in to the forthcoming campaign on the back of their worst season in twenty-four years having finished seventh in the English top flight, and so failed to qualify for European competition.

They are priced at 6.5 (11/2) with a variety of firms to reclaim the title that they lost to neighbours Manchester City, while they are widely available at 1.57 (4/7) to break back in to the top four.

As last season, Swansea City are the clubs first opponents of the season, followed by a trip to Sunderland and then matches against all three of the sides to have been promoted from the Championship.

Paddy Power offer a price of 6.0 (5/1) that Van Gaal will take fifteen points from those first five matches, while you can back him to remain unbeaten at home in the league next season at 10.0 (9/1) with the same firm.

He is 1.73 (8/11) to win the Manager of the Month award at any time during the season with Sky Bet, who offer 5.5 (9/2) for him to be named LMA Manager of the Year at the end of his first campaign in charge.

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