Former Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal famously said it would take three years for his players to absorb his patented football philosophy.
Alas, he only lasted two. His ‘boring’ tactics came under-fire from supporters and the press, and the Dutchman’s players reportedly rebelled against his meticulous methods.
The method they found the most irritating? Van Gaal was said to have sent detailed feedback emails to his players following games, and inserted a secret tracker to see if they had opened them.
Needless to say, they rarely did. And the 66-year-old still isn’t over it.
“Yes, that’s true. I sent emails to the players, in which I pointed out, for example, their strengths and weaknesses," Van Gaal told Bild, confirming the story (translation via Sport Witness).
"I developed the digital tracker with my IT man. Each player was able to log in. So, I gave everyone the opportunity to prepare for the conversation with me at home and to meet me in dialogue at eye level.”
Van Gaal said the "unprofessional" United players tried to trick him into thinking that they had read their report, but he was never fooled.
"That’s true, too. But this testifies to their unprofessionalism and I have then addressed them. But I already did that with the emails at Bayern. My conviction is that a full professional also wants to live professionally, like Arjen Robben. He read the emails."
