The distance from the North to the South Pole is 12,430 miles. Should Manchester United reach the final of the rather grandly titled “International Champions Cup,” their U.S. tour will have seen them rack up just under 13,500 miles within the space of two weeks. One might have a little sympathy, therefore, with Louis van Gaal’s complaints that United’s pre-season travels are “not very positive for a good preparation,” especially for a manager who only took the Old Trafford reigns ten days ago.
But are van Gaal’s concerns really justified? After all, this isn’t United’s first far-flung pre-season tour: since 2003 they’ve been on the road more often than an aging rock band topping up its pension pot. In the last decade they’ve visited North America four times and South Africa and Asia three times each. During that same period they’ve won nine domestic titles and one Champions League. Not bad for a bunch of burnt-out tourists.
Nor is United alone in its globe-trotting: Real Madrid, Roma, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all find themselves States-side this summer, and have been equally adventurous in prior years. The danger for United – and indeed any other teams committing to long-distance travel – comes when their title rivals choose to stay at home rather than chase the mighty dollar: this summer Chelsea are limiting themselves to a gentle stroll through Central Europe.
Van Gaal has already been doing a little saber-rattling: “I have to adapt to this big club, but I think also this big club has to adapt to Louis van Gaal.” He should bear in mind, however, that United’s global brand and fan base is the reason he has, to paraphrase Vice Chairman Edward Woodward, an unlimited budget this summer for re-building his squad. That fan base and brand needs constant management, so too does the myriad of official commercial partners – ranging from cars to noodles and everything in-between – whose patronage allows United to service its debt.
Perhaps van Gaal is just laying a subtle marker should his Old Trafford tenure not set off on the right foot – “the preparations were not good” he might retort if United begin with an indifferent start. It doesn’t sound like something a man with van Gaal’s levels of self-confidence would stoop to, we admit. Whatever the reason, The18 suspects that van Gaal will have to adapt more to United than the other way around.
