Manchester and Munich boast similar town halls - big, Victorian Gothic structures whose spires proclaim the industrial wealth of their cities.
It was from the balcony of the one in Munich that Louis van Gaal, dressed in lederhosen, paraded the Bundesliga shield in 2010 in front of tens of thousands of Bayern supporters thronging the city's central square, the Marienplatz. He was looking out at the same fans who had doubted his tactics and demanded Bayern attack with their old swagger. Behind him were Van Gaal's players, some of whom, like Franck Ribéry, had found his training methods difficult to fathom and the sessions joyless.
With Manchester United two points off the Premier League summit, the question is whether Van Gaal will look down on Manchester's Albert Square holding up the Premier League trophy to so many who doubted him.
Bastian Schweinsteiger was on that balcony in Munich five years ago and he can imagine himself doing the same in Manchester. “I recognise the similarities between Louis van Gaal here and Van Gaal at Bayern Munich,” he said.
“If you remember, it took a while in Munich before the team understood exactly how he wanted to play but in the end we won the Bundesliga and made it to the Champions League final. You have to be patient but I think we are in a good way.
“It is not about October or November, it is about May. I remember how unsure the fans were about him early on at Bayern but in the end we did the Double and the fans in Munich loved him for it. I am sure he can also bring success to Manchester United. We have to do our work and we have to improve but I am convinced it will happen.”
On Saturday, as United laboured to break down a West Bromwich Albion side with no ambition other than a goalless draw, ultimately winning 2-0, Old Trafford echoed to choruses of “attack, attack, attack” - the theme tune to a season in which they have scored four goals in their last half-dozen games.
It was the same in the Allianz Arena on the occasion Van Gaal was howled down when, drawing 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt, he brought off a striker, Luca Toni, for a defender, Martin Demichelis - neither of whom liked their manager.
Unlike them, Schweinsteiger got on with Van Gaal, partly because he gave him responsibility for team affairs along with Philipp Lahm and also because he converted him to a holding midfielder, in which role he was voted Footballer of the Year.
“I recognise what the supporters at Manchester United are saying,” said Schweinsteiger. “But football is not only about attack. There are teams with different styles and they also win titles.”
If league position were determined by goals, United would be in eighth place. They have managed nine fewer than leaders Manchester City. However, no team has conceded fewer. One of the keys to how Van Gaal turned around Bayern to win the title was a realisation by his players that instructions, delivered in a foreign language, were not meant to be taken literally. Last season, it was said he had told his full-backs they were only allowed to cross the halfway line twice, an instruction that contributed to United making more back passes to their keeper than any other Premier League team. What he meant was that they should not leave themselves overexposed.
At Old Trafford, Schweinsteiger believes they should attack more. “I think especially in home matches that we have to keep pressing and going forward,” he said. “I think we did well offensively against West Brom. When you are playing a team with 10 men behind the ball, it is not easy to find the gaps but we did succeed in breaking a team down.
“It is not exclusive to England. It was difficult back home as well. I saw Bayern draw 0-0 recently at Frankfurt because Frankfurt were defending with a lot of players. It happens but you have to find solutions - and this is where we have to improve.” – The Independent