Van Gaal can deflect Jose mind games

Jose Mourinho gave his humiliated Chelsea stars the silent treatment following their shock FA Cup loss to Bradford. Photo: Daniel Ochoa de Olza

Jose Mourinho gave his humiliated Chelsea stars the silent treatment following their shock FA Cup loss to Bradford. Photo: Daniel Ochoa de Olza

Published Oct 25, 2014

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London - Louis van Gaal insists he will never be swayed by Jose Mourinho’s mind games because he has an ‘iron shield’ surrounding him. Chelsea manager Mourinho is renowned for making jibes at his opponents in a bid to ruffle their feathers.

He has replaced Sir Alex Ferguson as the master of mind games in the Premier League but may have met his match in former mentor Van Gaal, who he faces at Old Trafford tomorrow.

‘I’m made from a little bit of iron so I have a shield, an iron shield,’ said the Manchester United boss, lowering his right hand in front of his face to represent a barrier. Can anything get past it?

‘No,’ said Van Gaal, who was known in Holland as the ‘Iron Tulip’. Headded: ‘Because I think everybody can write or speak about me - I cannot change that - I have learnt not to react and believe in myself, my players, my staff and that is important.’

Where Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini have reacted to Mourinho’s comments over recent seasons, Van Gaal was calm ahead of United’s match against the league leaders tomorrow.

The Dutchman joked that he had only learned to shield himself from comments since coming to England three months ago. He was perhaps buoyed by Angel di Maria being ruled fit after recovering from a thigh injury picked up against West Bromwich.

Mourinho may have his own injury boost because he revealed he is ready to risk top-scorer Diego Costa, who has missed Chelsea’s last two games with a hamstring problem and spent time in hospital this week after contracting a virus.

In terms of mind games, reputations have counted for little for Mourinho, who has targeted Wenger, Pellegrini and Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola. But Van Gaal knows Mourinho better than most, having made him one of his assistants and most trusted coaches when he was in charge at Barcelona from 1997 to 2000.

Mourinho used Barcelona, where he was first a translator under Sir Bobby Robson and became his close confidant, as a launch-pad to success. Van Gaal and Mourinho have remained close, although the pair have not met since he took over at United.

This will be only the second time they have come face-to-face as managers. Their first was when Mourinho masterminded Inter Milan’s 2-0 Champions League final victory against a Real Madrid side led by Van Gaal in 2010.

The United boss has said Mourinho is a better coach than him now, and on Friday admitted his surprise that his counterpart has gone on to achieve so much. He believes Mourinho now poses the biggest challenge he has faced as a manager but is not fazed by it.

Van Gaal added: ‘You have to analyse that I have started just three months ago and him longer. I’ve said that before. So it’s logical that he’s further with his team than I am with Manchester United. But nevertheless we can win against Chelsea.’

Daily Mail

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