Louis van Gaal believes he is not the dictator which people think he really is and goes on to say that he is actually a very flexible person.
Van Gaal has a reputation as an autocrat but the 63-year-old insists he is flexible in both his footballing and his private life. The Dutchman has expressed his confidence in his methods, however he said that he will change his methods and his approach if his coaching staff or his players ask him to.
According to MUTV, Van Gaal said: “I am a very flexible man. [People] are always thinking I am a boss, maybe a dictator. I am not like that. I am a very flexible man. My wife does know that.”
Despite winning so many titles with his former clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Ajax, the Dutchman has suggested that the way he works with Manchester United is different to his previous clubs.
“You have to evaluate and adapt to the culture of the club. The way I work here with Manchester United is different to the way I worked with Bayern Munich or the Dutch national team,” Van Gaal explained.
“There are lot of aspects in my philosophy I shall stick to but a lot I shall change and it can only change because of the members of my staff or my players. They can change my thoughts. We have to wait and see how many aspects I have changed after one year.”
Van Gaal also reminded about how the players persuaded him to stay with AZ Alkmaar, when he was about to quit. Subsequently it allowed him to win the Dutch title and then he got the Bayern Munich job.
“In my four years [there], were the first year second, the second year second, in the third year 13th and I wanted to go away. The players came to my house and asked me to stay and then the next year we were champions.”
Van Gaal’s club captain Wayne Rooney also echoed the same view by suggesting that the Dutchman is actually nice and very approachable whenever required.
Rooney said: “He is very approachable. He always says to his players you can go and talk to him, whether it is about football or other things.
“He is 100% serious when it comes to training but if you are speaking to him about other things, he is a genuinely nice guy. He is someone that as a player, you can trust.”