Premier League: Confident Louis van Gaal set to restore pride to Manchester United

Louis van Gaal is determined to bring success back to Manchester United

In his first press conference as Manchester United manager, Dutchman Louis van Gaal set his stall out and gave a confident display to the world's media...

After making it clear he felt that he'd arrived at the 'biggest club in the world' (some accolade when one takes into account the clubs he's managed before), Louis van Gaal presented a confident front as the new boss of Manchester United and if it wasn't clear before that he means business, it certainly is now. In this afternoon's press conference he seemed more like the lawman sent in to clean up a crime-ridden metropolis than a football manager.

Answering questions about all aspects of the club with the strong confidence we've come to expect, Van Gaal would have certainly made his rival managers - who were no doubt watching on with interest - sit up and take note as he vowed to bring success back to Old Trafford.

There were clearly concerns on his part around the commercial demands on the club however, perhaps a sideswipe at United's upcoming tour to the USA in which they'll need to visit four different cities in just eight days, something that appears to be much more about improving the global brand of the club rather than preparing the players for the rigours of the season.

Van Gaal will have been used to that when at clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich though, and it's tempting to suspect he is just marking his territory ahead of getting his feet under the desk at the club.

As for playing personnel, it is obviously vital that the new manager spends time with the individuals he has at his disposal before deciding on who to move on and who to bring in, but he has already received briefings from his coaching staff and knows Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw have already signed on the dotted line, improving his options considerably in those areas of the pitch.

As challenges in club football go, they don't come much bigger. But, if one thing has been made even clearer from this afternoon it's that managers don't come much bigger than Louis van Gaal either.

When asked if restoring Champions League football to Old Trafford was the priority in his first season, the big Dutchman responded with, 'For me, the challenge is to always come first. Not fourth.' 

Van Gaal has won the domestic title at every club he's ever managed at, and it would take a brave man to bet against him doing the same next season, because this is clearly a man of action. 6.611/2 on his new side to take the Premier League title in his first season suddenly seems like quite a big price.

Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool be warned. There's a new sheriff in town.