Irascible and unpredictable, but new boss is never boring

The stories about Louis van Gaal are many, and some of them are even true.

He insists on players knowing their place and keeping to it, even in the canteen. True — at Bayern Munich anyway.

He can be tough, even with the most exalted names. True — judging by his time at Barcelona and Bayern, where he had an uncomfortable relationship with players such as Rivaldo and Franck Ribery.

“Rivaldo, listen to me, you do as I say,” he would shout at the Brazilian. Rivaldo wouldn’t obey and left the club soon afterwards.

He plans everything meticulously. True — Jose Mourinho worked with him for two years at Barcelona and says he learned a lot from the way Van Gaal prepared for matches.

He’s very formal and aloof. He can be.

Allegedly Van Gaal insisted his two daughters, Brenda and Renate, address him formally rather than use the usual familiar language between father and children. But he also has a reputation as a warm person and good friend. Mourinho recalls how when he got his first management job offer, at Benfica, Van Gaal backed him to the hilt.

He’s good at developing and encouraging youngsters.

Mostly true. He was a PE teacher for 11 years at the Salesian Don Bosco school on the outskirts of Amsterdam, so he (again like Mourinho) has experience of working with disadvantaged kids.

During his time at Bayern he rejuvenated the team and brought through players such as Holger Badstuber, Diego Contento, David Alaba, Thomas Muller and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

He quarrels with journalists and employers. Partly true. His first spell at Barcelona culminated in a showdown with the Catalan media. One issue was his preferential treatment of Dutch players.

“Friends of the press. I am leaving. Congratulations,” were his parting shots. His short second spell ended in a dispute with the Barcelona board. At Bayern relationships with the board became strained in the second season.

So despite Van Gaal’s great record, there are some questions about his temperament. He says himself that his methods need time to be effective and he evidently has the ability to antagonise some people. In his defence, Barcelona is a notoriously factional club and Van Gaal ended up by being one of the victims. Ajax too has a history of internal disputes, and the Bayern power-brokers, such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Franz Beckenbauer, have a history of meddling with the manager’s job.

One stage in Van Gaal’s career that is often overlooked, however, is his four years at AZ Alkmaar. He left Barcelona under a cloud and then fell out with Ajax shortly after being appointed technical director. At AZ, perennial also-rans in the Eredivisie, he took a modest group of players to second and third place in consecutive seasons before the team slumped to mid-table. He announced he would be leaving and it seemed his career might go into permanent decline.

What changed his fortunes was the loyalty of his players. They were convinced by his approach and his emphasis on the collective responsibility of the group — collectief is said to be Van Gaal’s favourite word — and came out publicly asking him to stay on.

That fourth season in charge at AZ, Van Gaal and his players broke the stranglehold of the Dutch Big Three which had lasted 28 years and finished 11 points ahead of their nearest rivals. They did it with some great attacking play, but unusually for the home of Total Football they also had a defence that conceded just 22 goals.

Irascible, unpredictable, contradictory... Van Gaal has been called many things, but never boring. United may well have found the right heir to succeed Alex Ferguson. Provided they give him time.