Woodward is told to act and sack van Gaal
LOUIS VAN GAAL was clinging to his job as Manchester United manager last night, spared only by the reluctance of Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward to admit his mistake and wield the axe.
Senior figures at the club believe Woodward should have sacked van Gaal weeks ago and the horrendous Europa League defeat to Midtjylland in Denmark on Thursday night has only reinforced their view that a change needs to be made now.
However, Woodward has continually put off making a decision, with one insider yesterday describing him as ‘a rabbit in the headlights’.
It is understood that van Gaal has only been allowed to stagger on this long because Woodward does not want to sack another manager in mid-season, having ended David Moyes’ brief reign at Old Trafford in 2014 after just 10 months.
United’s executive vice- chairman is concerned about how another f ailed managerial appointment would reflect on him when compared to the stability brought to the club by his predecessor David Gill’s strong relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson. Not to mention the many millions squandered on unsuccessful signings.
Woodward had hoped that van Gaal would prove his critics wrong and oversee an upturn in results and performances but the prospect of that now looks more remote than ever.
After United saw their hopes of Champions League qualification suffer another setback with defeat at Sunderland last weekend, they were beaten in the Europa League by a team sitting third in the Danish Superliga who had not played a competitive game for more than two months.
Van Gaal now faces another critical week that could effectively end United’s season with Monday’s perilous trip to Shrewsbury Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup followed by the return leg with Midtjylland and a Premier League clash at home to Arsenal. However, there is no guarantee whatsoever that the Dutchman (below) will stay in charge for all those games. If Woodward decides to make a change, he is likely to ask Ryan Giggs to step in as caretaker boss once again or turn to Jose Mourinho. The former Chelsea manager was said to be waiting patiently for a call but warned yesterday that United could face competition for his services.
‘Right now I have respect for every coach and every club,’ Mourinho said in an interview in Italy. ‘I’m not looking for a club. It’s the clubs who are looking for me.
‘My next club? I really don’t know, but one thing is certain: I love football and I’ll return to the touchline with the same passion and ambition as always.
‘ I want to clarify one thing, though. ‘I won’t be in charge (of Inter Milan) next season.’
Michael Carrick, United’s captain in the absence of Wayne Rooney, also had some words of warning for the club as they look to bounce back against League One Shrewsbury.
‘Monday is a different game but we do need to be so much better,’ said Carrick.
‘We know what Monday is going to be — it has been shown many times in the Cup, so we know what to expect. It’s going to be a tough game.
‘(Midtjylland) has shown that if you are not anywhere near your best then you can slip up, and we need to be ready for that.
‘ We’re bitterly disappointed, and frustrated and angry, but when the dust settles over the next few days we will get ourselves ready for the games coming up.’
Van Gaal blamed ‘Murphy’s Law’ for the defeat in Denmark after goalkeeper David de Gea was injured in the warm-up.
But Carrick said: ‘I don’t think you can use injuries as an excuse. The performance wasn’t good enough and it has to be better.’
The Manchester Evening News yesterday called for change under the headline ‘LVG Must Go’ after unhappy United fans were heard chanting ‘we’re f*****g s**t’ at the MCH Arena as their team slid to another defeat.
Sean Bones, vice- chairman of the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, said: ‘I have never heard our supporters sing songs like that in all the games I have been to.
‘I have been in the ’70s when we got relegated but you felt the players were giving 100 per cent. To hear those songs i s very disappointing, but it is a reflection of how far we have fallen. ‘It was a new low in terms of performances. ‘ I think the players need to take a l ot of responsibility for the performance and show some pride when they wear the United shirt.’