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25th Jan 2016

Louis van Gaal on the brink of the sack at Manchester United as senior players lose faith (Report)

Conor Heneghan

Looks like Louis is on borrowed time at Old Trafford.

Louis van Gaal is on the brink of losing his job as Manchester United manager, with senior players at the club having allegedly told executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward that they have lost faith in his methods.

United’s 1-0 loss to Southampton on Saturday was the latest low point in a season full of them and having originally backed Van Gaal when the pressure was on earlier in the campaign, it appears as if Woodward might be about to finally get rid of the Dutchman.

A report in the Daily Mail claims that Woodward has canvassed senior players at the club for their views on Van Gaal and it is believed that he has lost the support of the majority of the dressing room.

Van Gaal, who was booed off the field at full-time on Saturday, sounded incredibly downbeat after a turgid performance, saying: “I’m very disappointed I cannot reach the expectations of the fans. They have, or they had, great expectations of me, and I cannot fulfil them, so I am very frustrated.”

during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on January 17, 2016 in Liverpool, England.

Reports at the weekend suggested that Jose Mourinho has appealed directly to the United board to be considered as a replacement for Van Gaal if he leaves (reports that were dismissed as “absurd” by Jorge Mendes), but there remains support for assistant manager Ryan Giggs to take over on a permanent basis.

Looks like we’re in for an eventful week at Old Trafford whatever happens.