Frank de Boer Reveals He's Spoken to Former Man Utd Manager About Adapting to Premier League

Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer has revealed advice given to him from former Manchester United and Netherlands boss Louis Van Gaal has given him hope to cope with life in the Premier League. Overseeing three defeats from three games, De Boer's possession based philosophy has come under fire from critics and fans alike. 

The Dutch boss is heading into a crucial fixture against Burnley - with his job on the line already. De Boer took advice from Van Gaal, who had a two-year tenure at the biggest club in English football, with footballing philosophy being a pivotal part of his advice.

OLI SCARFF/GettyImages

As quoted in the Independent, De Boer said "I spoke to him before I came to Crystal Palace. The only thing he regretted: [at United] he played 3-4-3 in pre-season, and then he lost the first game and changed it to 4-3-3. He regretted that, and that's why you have to stick to your own philosophy."

With his reputation damaged by an 85-day stint in charge of Inter Milan, there is already speculation that the Eagles boss could face the sack soon. With the pressure mounting up, De Boer commented:

 "As a manager, you always have more pressure. As a player I was nervous before games, you need tension to perform, and when the referee whistled, it was over, I was focused on the game. As a manager, you don't have that influence on the game itself."

De Boer continued to emphasise the importance of time, that if given it, the players will adjust well to his philosophy: "I want players that recognise what they have to do in certain situations. They have to recognise 'Okay, now we have to do this, now we have to do that'. That takes time. Automatically, so I don't have to shout from the bench."

Finishing off, De Boer reiterated: "After six months, you'll see you're getting more back in every game. It always takes time." saying, "I was a youth coach, and after six months it was 'Hey, now they're playing the way I think they have to play'. Continue what you believe in. That's a process, and it takes time."