Manchester United exit inevitable for van Gaal after sensational press conference
If there were any doubts left about Louis van Gaal’s impending exit from Manchester United, then he erased them during a sensational press conference on Wednesday.
Van Gaal spent four minutes and 58 seconds pointing his way toward the exit door ahead of the match against Stoke City on Saturday. His actions and words here -- defiant, desperate and incredulous -- betrayed the pressure on him with his reign crumbling over the past few weeks. And the totality of the situation emerged in his response to the first question.
"Erm, has anybody in this room not a feeling to apologize to me? Nobody has that feeling? That's what I'm wondering," van Gaal told the stunned gathering
In van Gaal’s defense, he -- and Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, for that matter -- has a point, even if it is largely irrelevant at this stage.
The former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager entered Old Trafford last summer with considerable work to do after the slapdash tenure of David Moyes. He encountered a tattered squad and provided foresight and stability. His guidance last season steered United back into the Champions League after a one-year absence. The results early in this campaign prompted discussions of a contract extension just a few weeks ago, even if the cautious, somnambulant reliance on possession sparked discontent among former United players and some supporters.
Everything crumbled for van Gaal in short order. The galling Champions League exit -- United somehow finished third in a manageable group with CSKA Moscow, PSV Eindhoven and VfL Wolfsburg -- eroded much of the patience with some indifferent performances. The resulting defeat to Bournemouth transformed the discussion from the future to the increasingly precarious state of affairs.
WILSON: Sources: van Gaal's United future hangs in the balance
José Mourinho’s departure from Chelsea and the defeat to Norwich City at the weekend lit the kindling in a combustible situation. The poor form coincided with the sudden availability of one of the few managers deemed worthy of taking over the United hot seat. The circumstances prompted widespread speculation in the press and underscored the lack of time afforded in the modern game.
All of the insinuations and the rumors prompted van Gaal’s outburst here. He is seasoned enough to know the ground is crumbling beneath his feet. A run of six matches without a win should not imperil his position given the squad at his disposal, but it has done so nevertheless.
Instead of managing those concerns and trying to navigate toward safer ground, van Gaal cracked and provoked memories of Mourinho's public spiral after the defeat to Leicester City last week. He highlighted the strain on his family as his name graced all of the back pages and noted his effort to arrest the recent run of poor form against Stoke at the weekend. His final jab at the reports surrounding his future -- including the dreaded votes of confidence -- paved the way for his dramatic departure from the press conference.
“No, I don't think that you can do that because you have to stick by the facts and when I get calls from [former manager Sir] Alex Ferguson and [United director] David Gill and [United executive vice-chairman] Ed Woodward because you are creating something that is not good, that is not being the facts and now I have to answer the questions,” van Gaal said. “I don't think that I want to do it. I only say now I am focused on Stoke City, I help my players, I wish you a Merry Christmas and maybe also a Happy New Year when I see you. Enjoy the wine and a mince pie. Goodbye.”
Those sentiments capture both the situation at hand and the inevitable changes ahead. Barring a massive and unexpected reversal, van Gaal is on borrowed time. He knows it. He shows it. The only thing left to do is to confirm his departure and say farewell one last time.
