Pep Guardiola, Louis van Gaal. These Manchester Men matter, if only a little

5149j18RWhL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

Buy from the Salut! Amazon link at http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00NVFNIS2/salusund-21


Monsieur Salut writes:
It is not often that Salut! Sunderland‘s parent (or should that be geriatric?) site Salut draws more hits.

It got close today because of the magic words in the headline (world-renowned managers of football clubs that have become global brands).

There wasn’t much chance of injecting a link to Sunderland in the Pep Guardiola profile I wrote for The National (decent, joined-up writing paper published in Abu Dhabi), though I considered mentioning his conversation with Boro’s Spanish manager Aitor Karaoke about life in England – though what would he know, being in Middlesbrough?.

But here it is, just in case anyone cares. My profile of Louis van Gaal, when he was appointed manager of Manchester United, still attracts loads of visitors to francesalut.com. Today, I expressed the hope that Pep is a little more mature in his dealings with the press because fabulously rewarded men and women in very public roles simply have to learn the law of rough and smooth …

Read more

What hacks should remember if Sunderland beat van Gaal’s United 3-0 away

I quoted a Dutch journalist, Peter Zantingh, in the piece I wrote for The National, Abu Dhabi on Louis van Gaal – the image above is copyright of “>John de Grooth and used with his consent – , but formed an instant dislike of him.

Zantingh has written an open letter, only semi-lighthearted, addressed to sportswriters who will cover van Gaal’s progress in his new job in charge of Manchester United. “From this moment on, you will be patronised, looked at with disdain, and haunted by a constant doubt [whether Mr van Gaal is making fun of you or being deadly serious],” he warns them.

Read more