The Reign of King Louis: Glory for Manchester United

T

The Flying Dutchman

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Welcome to my first Football Manager story ever. I have been playing Football Manager since FM07. In this story I manage Manchester United as Louis van Gaal. The results in real life aren't that great, so I'm hoping that I perform (a lot) better with the great players Manchester United has. Hope you all enjoy my story! Comments and possible improvements for my story are welcome, of course.
 
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Van Gaal takes over Manchester United

20 May 2015

Louis van Gaal is appointed as new manager of Manchester United yesterday. The current coach of the national team of Holland is set to move to Manchester right after his World Cup campaign is finished. Interim manager Ryan Giggs will become assistant manager, supported by Frans Hoek and Marcel Bout. Van Gaal has signed a tree-year contract at Old Trafford. After successful periods at AZ, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Ajax, he now faces the tough challenge to win silverware again with Manchester United. His greatest performance, winning the Champions League with Ajax in 1995, surely shows that Van Gaal is an absolute top class manager who is capable to live up to the expectations of the United board and fans.

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Manchester United chairman Ed Woodward praised the appointment of Van Gaal: “We have secured the services of one of the outstanding managers in the game today. He has achieved many things in his career to date and Old Trafford provides him with a fitting stage on which to write new chapters in the Manchester United story.”

With an estimated transfer budget of £150m Van Gaal is offered the opportunity to rebuild the entire team to his likening. With this astonishing amount of money, firework is expected on the transfer market, bringing some superstars to Old Trafford. The first transfer rumors are about Southampton left-back Luke Shaw. Despite his age of only 18, he was one of the brightest players in the Premier League last season and has the potential to become a world-class player. Downside for Manchester United is his price tag, estimated at £30m.

With the FIFA World Cup ahead, United will see if Louis van Gaal once again is able to bring success, when he faces Australia, Chile and Spain with the Dutch team. Will he survive the group stage or will he have an early exit at this world stage, a question which is followed by great interest in Manchester.
 
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Big time spending for Manchester United

Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera make the move to Old Trafford. The transfer fee of ex-Southampton player Shaw was £31m, thereby breaking the record of most expensive teenager. Since 2004 Wayne Rooney held this title in his £20m move to Manchester United. Also, Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera was transferred to England in a £30.5m deal.

While Louis van Gaal is still going strong in Brazil with the Dutch national team, winning group B with a crushing 5-1 victory over Spain, Manchester United is already active on the transfer market. The release clause of Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera was triggered. Herrera played for the Basques since 2011, therefore making career at Real Zaragoza. Ander also is an experienced youth international for Spain, playing for the Under-20, Under-21 and Under-23 teams. He signs a four-year contract worth £100k per week, with an option for an additional year.

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The 18-year old Luke Shaw leaves Southampton after ten years, where he was a first-team player after his debut at the age of 16. Shaw is believed to be one of the future superstars in the Premier League. His transfer to Manchester United offers a big opportunity to live up to the expectations within a few years. Shaw was the youngest active player in this year’s World Cup, gaining his third cap for England. Since England’s terrible performances, Shaw now can fully aim his focus on the preparations for his first Manchester United season. The newest Red Devil signed a £100k/week, four-year contract with an option to extend for a further year.

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Assistant-manager Ryan Giggs was obviously satisfied with the transfer: “Luke is a very talented young left-back with great potential. He has developed immensely during his time at Southampton and has all the attributes to become a top player. I am delighted he has joined Manchester United as I believe this is the right club for him to continue his development as a young player and eventually fulfil that promise."

 
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It is 16 July 2014 and the first day of Louis van Gaal as manager of Manchester United. His entrance at Carrington is of huge interest for the press. Expectations of fans are sky-high, after his excellent performance with the Dutch squad, an unexpected third place at the World Cup. From this point on Van Gaal will form the United squad to his likenings, already started with the Herrera and Shaw transfer. But first there is a press conference from the new boss himself.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward: "Welcome everybody and thank you all for coming to this press conference. Today is a big day in the history of our club with the signing of a new manager. We hope this decision will bring us back to the top of the Premier League, a place where we belong, and to new international successes as well. Without further ado, let me introduce to you our new manager: Louis van Gaal!"

Louis van Gaal: "Thank you very much, mister Woodward. I'd like to welcome you all as well to my first press conference as Manchester United manager. It always has been a big dream of mine to manage a great club in the Premier League, and now here I am, at the biggest club of them all. After succesful periods at Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern, AZ, and lately the national team of the Netherlands, Manchester United will be my final destination and last job as football manager. I hope to fulfil the expectations of the fans and board and I'm looking forward to work with the squad at the great facilities and fantastic Old Trafford."


Journalist of BBC: "Mister Van Gaal, are there any players you want to bring to Old trafford, after the signings of Shaw and Herrera already?

Louis van Gaal: "Well, it's too early to say something useful about transfers yet. I want to discuss the posibilities at the transfer market with the board first and also will gain some advice from my staff about the current squad. Also I'm only interested in the absolute best players for Manchester United, and there aren't many of them available."

Journalist of Manchester Evening Post: "What kind of football is it you're going to play with our team? Is it the 'totaalvoetbal' strategy that already gave you so much succes earlier or a more defensive and counter-attacking strategy like you played with Holland at the World Cup?"

Louis van Gaal: "First of all I want to correct you there. We did not play counter football with Holland, because our intention was to have the most of the ball possesion and control the game. Second it was the formation of which I thought it was the best to play with, based on the available players. It's my plan to create a dominant playing strategy with Manchester United, which also is attractive for the fans. With the players available at Manchester United it's absolutely possible to dominate every game, even against the biggest teams in this competition."

Journalist of Sky Sports: "Mister Van Gaal, what are your goals for this season with Manchester? Do you expect immediate result or is it a strategy which requires time?"

Louis van Gaal: "It will be a process to make Manchester succesfull again. It takes time to implement a strategy to a club and players also need time to get used to their new roles and the new working methods, because every manager has a different approach to football. The goals I set are to compete for the title and minimally reach a position that gives the right to play Champions League again next season."

FourFourTwo reporter: "Do you think it's an advantage that other title candidates play European football as well and your team therefore has a less filled schedule and more time to rest?
Louis van Gaal: "I think that the other topclubs are able to play in different leagues without any difficulties. The large squads create the possibility to rotate some players and the more experienced players are already used to the busy schedule."

Ed Woodward: "Okay, it's time to close this press conference, so that Louis can meet his staff and players in person. Thanks for the great attendance."

After the press conference a meeting between Van Gaal and his staff was arranged, followed by an introduction to the players. Captain Wayne Rooney said afterwards: "We were all impressed by the ambition of our new manager. His will to succeed is strong and so is the will of us. He told us his expectations of this season and we all agreed that it was the right goal for us. We hope to give our fans the succes they want and deserve."
After all obligations, it was time for the first training from Van Gaal.

 
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United spends millions for their return to the top

This summer Manchester United spent over £150 million for new players. The transfer of ex-Galáticos Angel Di Maria was the most expensive with a fee of £60 million. Other new players were Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and on-loan Radamel Falcao. But what can we expect from these players and will they succeed at Old Trafford? Let’s find out!

Ander Herrera signed his Manchester United contract at 26 June, making him the first transfer under Van Gaal’s supervision. Herrera played 82 matches in the first team of Real Zaragoza, before he made the move Athletic Bilbao, his hometown. In Bilbao Herrera appeared 94 times on the pitch in 3 seasons. His favourite position is central midfielder, where he is able to exploit his strong characteristics, such as defensive contribution and accurate passing. Herrera will probably be a player for rotation, giving him time to get used to the Premier League.

The transfer of young left-back Luke Shaw was round up one day after Herrera’s transfer was accomplished. With a price tag of £31 million, he became the most expensive teenager in the Premier League ever. As an key player for Southampton, a lot can and may be expected from Shaw. Also he still has a lot of potential and is expected to become the undisputed left-back of national team of England for a long period. One of Shaw’s strengths is his dribbling skills, which also make him an option as left-midfielder. Depending on the formation Van Gaal will be using, Shaw will definitely fulfil the role of left-back in a 4-defender system.

The Argetinian international Marcos Rojo was bought from Sporting Lissabon for £16 million at the 20th​ of August. He was an important factor in the Argetinian squad, which became runner-up this World Cup. The 24-year old Rojo is capable of playing in the defence as centre-back or left-back. A few of his strengths are his passing, tackling and interception. Rojo likes to play the long balls, something which Van Gaal is known not to be keen on and definitely will try to change this style of play. Expectation is that Rojo will fulfil the role of the left centre-back so he can use his accurate left-foot passing.

Another Argentinian international joined the squad of Manchester United: Ángel di Maria. The superstar leaves Real Madrid behind to play for the Mancunians. His transfer was arranged in a £59.7 million deal, raising the expectations of the fans sky-high. With his great performances for the Galácticos, 4 goals and 17 assists in the 2013/14 season, he definitely has the ability to fulfil the expectations. His creativity and passing will have a huge impact on the attacking game of Manchester United and we expect Di Maria to become a serious candidate for Player of the Year in the Premier League this season.

A last-minute £14 million deal with Ajax ensured Manchester with the services of Daley Blind. His phenomenal cross to Van Persie in the match against Spain was one to remember. The long, deep ball played from just over the midline and the amazing header from Van Persie make it one of the beauties this season. Blind is an allround player who began his career as a left-back, but moved up the pitch to become a controlling midfielder, the role which Van Gaal also has in mind for him at United.

Last but not least is the agreement with AS Monaco for Colombian striker Radamel Falcao. His move to Manchester for a season costs United £6 million, with the option to buy him for another £46.5 million. Due to a heavy knee-injury Falcao wasn’t able to compete for Colombia at the World Cup. We’re wondering how well El Tigre returns on the pitch after his injury. Hopefully we’ll see the scoring machine again, like he was before. In top form Falcao is the worst nightmare for a defence, definitely in combination with other United superstars as Di Maria, Van Persie and Rooney.

The six summer signings of Louis van Gaal:
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Manchester United ‘steals’ talent from Barcelona

A release clause offered Manchester United the opportunity to assure themselves the services of Munir El Haddadi. The former Barcelona talent had a release clause of £10.25m in his contract. He signed a contract till 2018 in Manchester, with a £34.5k per week salary.

The 18-year old wonderkid has only played for Barcelona ‘B’ so far, scoring 4 goals in 11 appearances. Big advantage of Munir is his capability to play on different attacking positions, with striker as natural one. However it is expected that Munir will play his matches for Manchester from the wings, since the striker position is strongly occupied by Van Persie, Falcao and Rooney.

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Future star Munir El Haddadi in the
shirt of his ex-club FC Barcelona​


Fans of Manchester are really pleasured with the signing of El Haddadi. Roger Mullin, spokesman of the supporters club said: “We’re impressed with his ambition and his will to succeed. We definitely support him and we’re looking forward to his debut for our club. We believe Munir has got what it takes to become a world-class player.”

Although it’s believed that Munir will not have a direct impact on the United squad, Louis van Gaal states different: “I believe that Munir is a player who is capable to decide a game. His technique and dribbling skills make him an unpredictable player and his creativity will definitely be very useful for our team.”

Rumours appeared that Manchester United has also made biddings for 15-year old Martin Ødegaard and River Plate defender Éder Álvarez Balanta. Also it is believed that Antonio Valencia, Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Chris Smalling may leave Manchester, since they do not fit in the plans of Louis van Gaal.
 
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Fiorentina signs Antonio Valencia

Fiorentina confirmed the transfer of Antonio Valencia to Italy. His time at Manchester United was over after Louis van Gaal made clear he didn’t need the services of the winger and already bought Munir El Haddadi as replacement. Fiorentina paid £17.75 million for Valencia, of which £15.25 million directly and another £2.5 million distributed over 12 months.

Valencia was active for Equador this World Cup, where they finished third in a group with France, Switzerland and Honduras. He began his career at El Nacional in his homeland, and made the oversea move to Villareal in the season 2005/06. He only played a few matches for the Spanish club and was already on a season-long loan at Wigan, before he made the definite move to this club. In his three Wigan seasons he impressed Sir Alex Ferguson, who realized a transfer to Manchester for an fee of £16.25 million. After 5 seasons in Manchester, he is now set to play for Fiorentina in the Serie A.


Antonio Valencia was relieved with his transfer. He wanted to leave Manchester after being listed by manager Louis van Gaal. The opinion of the Manchester United fans were divided. On the one hand they thought that Valencia was still of value for their team, but on the other hand they are satisfied with the transfer fee that was paid.

 
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15-year old Norwegian Martin Ødegaard

completes dream transfer


Norwegian wonderkid Martin Ødegaard has fulfilled his transfer to an European topclub after he signed a contract for Manchester United. He will make the move to England on the first of January 2015, 2 weeks after his 16th​ birthday. Many clubs were interested in the services of Ødegaard, but Manchester claimed the signing of the Norwegian. Manchester United paid £1 million up front, which can increase with another £200k.

He debutted for Strømsgodset IF on 13 April 2014, becoming the youngest Tippeligaen player ever and a month later he also became the youngest goalscorer in the Tippeligaen ever. Expectation is that Ødegaard will be a first-team player in his last half-year in Norway before he leaves to play for Manchester United. There he is believed to become a part of the youth teams and to appear in the first team for some FA and League cup matches against the weaker opponents. With the excellent facilities and training staff in Manchester all factors are present to exploit his talent and become one of the greatest Scandic players ever.

About is transfer, Martin said: “ I’m very glad Manchester United gave me the opportunity to become a Mancunian and be a part of the greatest club of England. This is a dream come true. I know many people say it was better for me if I stayed a few more years in Norway, but I’m convinced that I chose the best option for myself. In Manchester I will train with many great players and I think I can learn a lot from players as Rooney, Di Maria and Van Persie. Also the manager, Louis van Gaal, convinced me to make this move, since he is a manager who invest a lot in young players and give them a lot of play time. But for now, I’m still focussed on my current team and I hope that I can be of value for them as long as I’m here.”

Van Gaal was visibly satisfied with the transfer of Ødegaard: “ With the transfer of Martin we ensured ourselves of one of the most promising talents of this moment. Martin has the potential and talent to become a world-class player within a few seasons. For now, he still got the time to improve himself in the Tippeligaen.”


 
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An unsmooth preparation for Louis van Gaal so far


Manchester United played five friendly matches, since Louis van Gaal´s entrance at Old Trafford. Only 2 victories were achieved by the Mancunians and 3 times the match ended in a draw. This are certainly not the results that the board, the fans, the players and Van Gaal himself expected and hoped for. One explanation could be the many injuries of United players, as well as the short period of rest after the World Cup. However if it continues to be this way when the Premier League starts, Van Gaal has to fear an early exit.

The first match managed by Louis van Gaal was an away game in Ukraine against Vorskla. The match ended with a 2-2 draw. Manchester was slightly dominant, but it was Vorskla who had the best chances and eventually took the lead. Immediately after kick-off Wayne Rooney scored the equalizer and ten minutes later United took the lead. Then it was Tkachuk who signed for the 2-2, which also was the final score. The defence of United didn’t leave a great impression during the game.

Then United went on a training camp to Brazil to play three matches against São Caetano, a third-league team, Santos and Palmeiras. The match against São Caetano was won 4-2, with again an important role for Rooney, scoring two goals. The give-away of two goals was again an indication that the defence is a weak spot in the United team. Also the incapability to possess the ball for the majority of time was shocking.
The performance against Santos was even worse. Santos dominated over United, but it was Rooney who took the penalty to give United a 1-0 lead. Immediatly after the break it was Robinho who scored the last goal as the match ended in a 1-1.
The Palmeiras match was the unofficial debut for Marcos Rojo, who should improve the defence of United. A 2-1 victory was claimed with goals of Ashley Young and captain Wayne Rooney. Rojo played a decent match and was rated as best defender of the match.


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Rio de Janeiro, the only place in Brazil were Van Gaal was able to impress,
and that was not even with United but with the Dutch squad.
​


The last match was mainly out of financial interest and was played in Qatar against Al-Gharrafa. Lisandro Lopez profited twice from the space behind the defence in the first 20 minutes. United was able to recur from this worse start and a final score of 3-3 was achieved, including a beautiful volley of debutant Ángel Di Maria, assisted by fellow debutant Munir El Haddadi. Again, defence didn’t look very stable this match.

It’s up to Van Gaal to improve the performances of his squad as they are heading for a trip to the United States, where they face Seattle, new-formed club NYCFC and Los Angeles Galaxy, the former club of United-legend David Beckham. Main points of attention are the defence and the inability to control a match, even against weaker opponents. Maybe another new player will bring the solution to Manchester, bringing their total number of transfers to 9.


View attachment 298378
Best man during United's season preparation: Wayne Rooney


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United strikes again: number 9 is in!


It didn’t take long for Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal to undertake some action, after the poor performances in their preseason. Colombian centre-back Éder Álvarez Balanta is transferred to Manchester in the hope to create a rock-solid defence. His transfer fee amounted £6.5 million, with an additional £0.5 million after a set number of appearances in the first team.

Balanta debuted for Colombia in March 2014 and was part of the Colombian World Cup campaign in Rio. There he appeared in one match, a 4-1 victory over Japan. Balanta played 38 matches for his former club River Plate, scoring 2 goals. River Plate manager Ramón Diaz compared Balanta to legendary Argentinean centre-back Daniel Passarella.

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Louis van Gaal was glad to have paid a relatively low fee for the new centre-back. “ It is perfect that we had the opportunity to sign Balanta for a cheap price. He doesn’t have the pressure of an huge transfer fee and thus he can improve his skills and fulfil his potential easier now. I believe that Éder has a great future here at Old Trafford.”

As a left-footed player, he will become a concurrent for other United centre-back Marcos Rojo. With the presence of other centre-backs Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, rumours appear that one of these has to leave the club. Most-likely for an Manchester exit is Chris Smalling, who already earned the interest of Arsenal. It’s, however, questionable if Van Gaal is willing to sell a player to the concurrence.


 
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The United States trip of Manchester United

After the trip to Brazil, Manchester United now had a journey through the United States. There they played three matches, first facing the Seattle Sounders, followed by NYCFC and Los Angeles Galaxy. Louis van Gaal was hoping to see an improvement in the play of his squad after the not so successful campaign in Brazil.

First match was played in Seattle and the result was a 2-2 draw. United had a hard time against the MLS team and wasn’t able to dominate over their opponent. United took the lead by a goal of Rooney, followed by an equalizer just before half-time after a flaw of Marcos Rojo. Falcao scored the 2-1, bringing United ahead again, but Obafemi Martins signed for the next equalizer. Statistics afterwards showed that Seattle Sounders had slightly more ball possession (52% vs. 48%) and also more shots fired (14 to 8), confirming that United has a lot of work to be done to improve their pitch performances. Wayne Rooney was chosen as Man of the Match.

Second match was against new-formed club NYCFC, the future employer of Chelsea-legend Frank Lampard. It was an easy match for the United squad, claiming a 4-1 victory. Within 6 minutes three goals were scored. First it was Munir El Haddadi to score, followed by Van Persie one minute later. A quick goal from NYCFC restored some hope for their fans, but it was Di Maria who definitely ended this hope with a goal in the 18th​ minute. Munir scored his second goal in the first half, but it was Di Maria who was picked as the Man of the Match.

View attachment 297874
Frank Lampard will join NYCFC in 2015

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In Los Angeles United finally played an impressive match. With more ball possession and three times more shots (8 for Galaxy against 24 for United) Manchester deserved to win. But at half-time the scoreboard indicated a 2-0 lead for LA Galaxy. After the break United equalized within 2 minutes. First it was Rooney to score in the 64th​ minute, followed by a goal from Ander Herrera.

So it’s up to Louis van Gaal to get his squad ready for the first match of the Premier League. United plays at Villa Park against Aston Villa, who finished 15th​ last season. Van Gaal will want to make a good start in the competition and best way to do so is to bring three points home to Manchester. We’re looking forward to the opening of the season.

 


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Manchester United wins at season opening

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Manchester United sealed the victory over Aston Villa in the first match of the season. Goals from Ashley Young and Robin van Persie were enough to defeat Villa. United boss Louis van Gaal was satisfied with the victory of his team after struggling in their preseason performances.

In the 12th​ minute it was Ashley Young who put Manchester in the lead. His shot from just inside the penalty area looked stoppable for Villa goalie Guzan. He only got one hand to it and so United had a comfortable position. United kept pushing Aston Villa back and created a few good chances, but the Villa defence looked solid and so teams entered half-time with a 1-0 on the scoreboard.

After the break it was an doubtful decision of referee Chris Foy that decided the game. A light foul on Wayne Rooney was enough for Foy to point to the spot and it was Robin van Persie, just one minute on the pitch, who left Guzan no chance and signed for the 2-0. The goal of Darren Bent in the 89th​ minute was one for the stats only.

The match against Aston Villa meant the official debut for record purchase Di Maria, who left a decent impression. Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Ander Herrera were the other debutants.

Match Facts:

Aston Villa (4-1-4-1): Guzan 6.5; Hutton 6 (Lowton 74, 6.5), Okore 6.5, Baker 7, Cissokho 6.5; C. Sánchez 6.5; Walters 6.5, Thomsen 6.5 (Westwood 62, 6.5), Richardson 8, Vangioni 7; Weimann 6 (Bent 85, 7.5)
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Smalling 7, P. Jones 7, Rojo 7, Blind 7; A. Herrera 6.5, Fellaini 7; A. Young 8, Mata 6.5 (Van Persie 67, 7), Di Maria 7; Rooney 6.5

Bookings: Aston Villa: Cissokho; Manchester United: Fellaini
Referee: Chris Hoy
MOM: Ashley Young
Attendance: 42,326
 
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Manchester United wins top match against Chelsea

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Manchester United claimed a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford. Former Chelsea-player played an important role and made the difference between the two top clubs. This was remarkable as José Mourinho said little flattering things over Mata before the match. Juan Mata scored two goals and proved his former manager wrong.

The face-off between Manchester United and Chelsea also meant a particular encounter between former mentor and pupil, respectively Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho. The two manager were colleagues in Barcelona and it was Van Gaal who saw that Mourinho had the potential to become more than a skilled assistant-manager. Since then Mourinho has worked his way up, becoming one of the most successful managers from this moment, describing himself as ‘the special one’.

At Old Trafford it was still the mentor who defeated his pupil in a 3-1 victory, although it was Chelsea who took the lead in the 14th​ minute. New signing Cuadrado accelerated along Blind and delivered a cross which was tipped in by Hazard. Their lead only lasted for 42 seconds. It was Ashley Young who profited from a excellent trough ball from Wayne Rooney and signed for the 1-1. In the 37th​ minute Van Persie played the ball behind the defence to Juan Mata, who remained calm and scored with his right foot. One minute later, Young hit the post, leaving Chelsea’s hope for a comeback. A beautiful attack in the 58th​ minute decided the game. Herrera served Mata with a trough ball, after an one-two with Van Persie, and Mata scored his second goal, again with his right foot. Hazard then got a big opportunity to bring Chelsea back in the game, but instead of a simple pass to Rémy he decided to go for his own success, but his shot was saved by David de Gea.

Louis van Gaal was satisfied with the performance of Mata: “José tried to put pressure on Mata with his pre-game statements, but Mata answered excellent with his two goals, hushing his former manager.”
Match facts:

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Smalling 7, P. Jones 8, Rojo 7.5, Blind 7; A. Herrera 8, Di Maria 7.5; A. Young 8 (Munir El Haddadi 59, 6.5), Rooney 9, Mata 9; Van Persie 7.5
Chelsea (4-2-1-2-1): Cech 6.5; Ivanovic 7, Cahill 6.5, Terry 6.5, Filipe Luís 7; Ramires 6 (Willian 64, 6.5), Dragovic 6.5 (Rémy 45, 6.5); Fabregas 6.5 (Oscar 84, N.A.); Cuadrado 7.5, Hazard 7; Diego Costa 7

Bookings: Manchester United: Di Maria, P. Jones; Chelsea: Filipe Luís
Referee: Lee Probert
MOM: Juan Mata
Attendance: 73,818

 
And the monthly awards of August go to…

The elections of the best performers of the Month in the Premier League were held for the first time this season. Three match days have passed for each team. The first prize awarded was the Player of the Month, which went to Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho. With an average rating of 8.3 he left Eden Hazard and Lukas Podolski, both had averages of 7.9 behind him.

View attachment 297457
Click for larger picture

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Next award was given to the Young Player of the Month. Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain was recognized for his good performances for Arsenal, scoring an average of 7.57. New Liverpudlian Alberto Moreno finished second and Nick Powell from Leicester, on loan from Manchester United, claimed the third place.

View attachment 297455
Click for larger picture

​

Last but not least the Manager of the Month title was awarded. It was Premier League newcomer Louis van Gaal who was praised for his three victories against Aston Villa (1-2), Chelsea (3-1) and Newcastle United (0-2), and claimed the trophy. Second and third places went to Manuel Pellegrini and Arsène Wenger respectively, who also leaded their teams to a victory in every match.

View attachment 297454
Click for larger picture

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Louis van Gaal said to the present press: “It’s a great honour to receive such recognition for my work here so far. We had a really good month and I hope we’re able to keep up the good performances. It will require hard work from everybody, but I now we can do it. Now our focus is aimed for the match against Arsenal, who also are inform.”

 
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Is there anyone who knows how I can make pictures larger in my posts? For example, my previous post contains some self-made pictures and I really would like to enlarge, so readers do not have to click on the picture to have a clear view of it!
 
Whenever I see somebody transfer Balanta on a story, I stop reading. I prefer players who are creative and who can think "outside the box". The signings of Balanta, Munir and Odegaard are very bland and so predictable.

Your layout and effort are outstanding. You just need to be original and come up with something that nobody has done before, or else its boring.
 
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stormart said:
Whenever I see somebody transfer Balanta on a story, I stop reading. I prefer players who are creative and who can think "outside the box". The signings of Balanta, Munir and Odegaard are very bland and so predictable.

Your layout and effort are outstanding. You just need to be original and come up with something that nobody has done before, or else its boring.
Click to expand...

At first I'd like to thank you for the compliments concerning the layout and effort. Since it's my first story ever I indeed put a lot of effort in my story and I wanted to do a decent job with layouts, since I like stories with nice layouts myself.

I also want to thank you for the very useful feedback. I guess it's one of the things I was unaware of as a beginning writer. Indeed it weren't to original transfers, but they were players useful for Man Utd (and many other clubs I guess). I hope I can convince you to keep reading, because it would be a shame to lose one of my readers.
In the future I certainly will try to be original and have a different approach concerning transfers.
 
I will continue reading because I can see how much effort you are putting in. Will sub to this thread and follow closely.
 
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