Since their shaky start to the 2014/15 campaign, Louis van Gaal and Manchester United have now won six impressive games on the bounce, beating the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in the process.

The Red Devils have seemingly overcome the adversities that plagued them at the beginning of the season, with their uncanny ability to capitulate at the drop of the hat looking less and less likely with every passing match. For this, they have none other than their enigmatic Dutch boss to thank.

Whilst Louis van Gaal is starting to seem like a revelation at Old Trafford this season, his summer signings that cost the club £150m have certainly helped the Dutchman. Critics of United claim that any team who spends that much money in one single transfer window should be doing well by now regardless of who is in charge. We have seen through the efforts of Manchester City that the title can in-fact be bought, and many claim that what Van Gaal is doing at United is no different.

Although that definitely makes sense, the Red Devil’s boss has seen the likes of Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind all fall victim to injuries in recent weeks, but United’s form has not suffered as a result. For that, Van Gaal deserves credit.

It remains true that the new boss at Old Trafford has certainly had more financial backing from the board than his predecessor did, but that’s not to say that David Moyes didn’t splash the cash either. The Scot still spent £37 million on Juan Mata and £27.5 million on Marouane Fellaini respectively, which ultimately proved not to be enough to save his career at Manchester United.

Louis van Gaal has therefore made clear progress for United in their attempts to move forward, but he has been definitely blessed through the advent of not playing in Europe this season. The former Bayern boss has seen his side rise up past the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton in 2014/15, all, or at least partly, because he can rest his players midweek and focus of the team’s attention on their domestic duties without distraction. For those sides playing in Europe, such a luxury cannot be afforded.

One clear, yet more subtle, success of Van Gaal this season has been his ability to breed a new found confidence in his players. David De Gea’s recent blossom and subsequent Man of the Match display against Liverpool acts as the best evidence for this notion, while several other players, such as Antonio Valencia and Michael Carrick, have noticeably stepped up their game under LVG.

We get the impression that Manchester United have found themselves a ‘proper manager’ in the Dutchman. He has seen it all before during his spells with Barca and Bayern, as well as internationally with the Netherlands. Louis van Gaal’s preference for three at the back and dependence on youth development has shown that he is not scared to make the big decisions and switch things up when necessary. It is this mentality that has got the respect of the Manchester United fans and board alike, which sadly, David Moyes never came close to achieving.

Whilst there is still a long way to go in the 2014/15 campaign, the Red Devils have made great progress under their new Dutch boss and will they will be hoping that the impressive form continues. LVG has therefore gone a long way in restoring the famed glory days back at Old Trafford this season.

Manchester United are a big club who need a big name at the helm, and in Louis van Gaal, they certainly have that.

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