UNDER-PRESSURE Louis van Gaal refused to give any guarantee that he will still be Manchester United’s manager on Monday against Chelsea.
Time appears to be running out on the 64-year-old Dutchman as United slid to their fourth straight defeat with some bookies quoting odds of 1-12 on the former Holland boss to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
Van Gaal was in sombre mood as he tried to come to terms with yet another jolting loss with United now out of the title race and crashing down the table.
Asked whether he would still be in charge for the televised visit of Chelsea on Monday he replied: “You have to wait and see, but I think so.”
That will depend on the reaction of the United board who are coming under added pressure to end Van Gaal’s 18 month reign with sacked Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho waiting in the wings.
Also it appeared last night that Van Gaal was beginning to doubt himself adding: “It’s another situation losing the fourth game in a row.
“I feel the support of everyone in this club. I don’t prefer Ed Woodward (executive vice-chairman) comes out and says it (public support) because it’s more important what they say to me. I’m not interested in public sayings.
“I can also quit by myself but that is something I speak with Ed Woodward by himself. I don’t have to say that to you (the media). It’s not like that in the football world.
“I don’t have to say whether I am considering that (resigning) but I have said before it’s not always that the club has to sack me. Sometimes I do it by myself.
“We have lost four matches so people are looking at me and I have to deal with that. If you say I have failed you can say that but I don’t think like that.
“I am the one who wants to speak first with the board, the members of my staff and my players and not with you (the media).”
On the latest defeat in the Potteries he accused his players of not being able to cope with the pressure they find themselves under.
Van Gaal added: “We didn’t play our football because of the pressure . We couldn’t cope with the circumstances. I said at half-time we had nothing to lose and we coped better.”
On starting with skipper Rooney on the bench he explained: “It’s always a difficult decision to put your captain out of the team but he reacted like a very good professional.
“He makes a big contribution off the pitch as well as on it.”
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus