Van Gaal Tactical

They didn’t realize it at the time, but when Real Madrid hired Ajax’s Leo Beenhakker to be their manager in 1991 they helped launch the career of a coach who would create more than one future headache for the team in White. Beenhakker’s assistant, a 39-year-old named Louis van Gaal, took over the bench in Amsterdam and the rest is history. The author gives us a master’s course in advanced tactics, having analyzed more than 150 of the Dutchman’s games at the various clubs where he has been in charge. All the schemes and systems used. Playing with three, four, and even five defenders. Teams that drop back to defend, teams that press high, and teams that defend man to man all over the field. Teams developed for positional play and teams witn total freedom of movement. This book also shares some interesting set piece situations. This complete tactical analysis concludes with a series of exercises that can be adapted to your own team’s training activities.

＂My model has been Van Gaal. I studied more than 250 of his team’s games. When I reached 170 I could guess the changes he would make and I knew that I had assimilated his thinking.＂ Marcelo Bielsa