Louis van Gaal has reminded Virgil van Dijk that the “manager decides the tactics” after the Liverpool defender suggested he would prefer to play a different system with the national team.
Van Gaal returned to the Netherlands for a third spell as manager following the country’s exit from the Euros last summer and the team are unbeaten under the 70-year-old, winning six of their eight games and qualifying for the World Cup.
The Netherlands defeated Denmark 4-2 in a friendly match on Friday to extend their unbeaten record but Van Dijk hinted afterwards he felt uncomfortable playing in the middle of back three in Van Gaal’s 3-4-1-2 system.
When asked what formation he would prefer, Van Dijk said that he is in favour of the 4-3-3 system used at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, which is also what Dutch teams have traditionally played.
But when those comments were put to Van Gaal, the former Manchester United and Barcelona coach replied. “I know he has that preference, he always said this publicly. We already had this debate when I came here. The manager decides the tactics.”
Van Gaal, who previously managed the Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup, has voiced his opposition to playing the tournament in Qatar this year, claiming the decision to stage the competition in the country in November and December is “ridiculous”.
