Report: Louis van Gaal redraws Manchester United's tour plans
Isaiah Downing / Reuters
From implementing a formation with three centre-backs to forcing his players to speak English on the pitch to demanding his new club rip up two training pitches at their Carrington training ground, Louis van Gaal has been quick to stamp his mark on Old Trafford.
But the Dutch manager's influence since arriving at Manchester United doesn't end there. Far from it.
According to the Guardian, Van Gaal has made a number of logistical changes to the club's tour of the United States as well as making sure that certain requirements are met by both his players and the hotels where the team is staying. They include:
- Asking staff to switch hotels in Los Angeles since the Beverly Wilshire Hotel was too far from the club's training centre at the StubHub complex.
- Asking the club to also switch hotels for their tour stops in Washington, D.C. and Detroit for the same reason.
- Sending an advance party to Los Angeles to scout the team's hotel and ensure that all players could be seated in formal fashion when dining together.
- Insisting that his players arrive on time for dinner and that their diets are to his orders.
The high level of expectations from Van Gaal come as no surprise given his history. For example, upon taking over as manager of the Netherlands in 2012, he demanded adjustments to the team hotel to encourage players to mix rather than stay in their rooms alone. A big "family room" was created that included facilities for cards and table tennis as well as a large flat-screen television.