I’m different to Ferguson and Wenger – Van Gaal

Over the past year I think I’ve improved in my game a lot.

Van Gaal will wait until Saturday to make a decision on his side to face Arsenal after the exertions of the win against Wolfsburg, but Michael Carrick has been declared fit.

Van Gaal insisted there are no regrets about managing a host of different clubs, including Bayern Munich and Barcelona, rather than create a legacy like Ferguson and Wenger. He goes through little things with me on the pitch and individual stuff.

“I set aims and I was very lucky that clubs or national teams want me”, he said. “At that time I was young and I wanted more”, van Gaal told reporters. “Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson are other types I think”.

Against Olympiakos, the Arsenal boss did what he always does – send his team out to play their own game without any plan, preparation or consideration of the opponent. He is always thinking about the team. For a trainer-coach, manager, it is fantastic that he is willing to do that. That was a big factor in why I chose to come here, to work with him. He saw his playing time restricted during the second part of the season and has started the new campaign as the fourth-choice centre-back behind Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista.

Taking all those players and selecting the five very best is no easy task- but we asked Jonathan Kaney to do exactly that and there’s a few interested inclusions.

Van Gaal added that Chris Smalling’s impressive form is all down to the defender’s openness.

“Obviously he got the chances because of that but it is always like that”. “That is always like that”. As a player you need vacancies in positions and when it is your position you have more luck.