Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal has conceded that he isn’t meeting the expectations of the supporters almost two years into the job.
The Dutchman suffered with a furious reception after his side’s 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford against Southampton on Saturday, and once again he is in the firing line.
As he continued to receive abuse as he made his way to the tunnel, it would undoubtedly have been a difficult experience for the United boss as he continues to try and silence his doubters.
Although there is no immediate suggestion that a change will be made, Van Gaal has now conceded that he isn’t getting the results required as United continue to fall off the pace in their bid to qualify for the Champions League.
“I’m very disappointed that I cannot reach the expectations of the fans,” the United manager said, as reported by ESPN FC. “They have — or they had — great expectations of me, and I cannot fulfil them, so I am very frustrated because of that.”
“I agree with them, so it doesn’t have any impact [on me],” he said.
“They have also knowledge of football, of entertaining football, and you have to play football to entertain the fans.
“[On Saturday], I don’t think we have entertained the fans, so they can be very angry.”
While Van Gaal also bemoaned the team’s bad luck with injuries as he suffered another setback with Matteo Darmian forced off, the Dutchman’s style of play and inability to ensure that his side regularly score goals have also been areas that have ensured he has received fierce criticism.
Whether or not he is able to overcome the latest struggle remains to be seen, but the pressure is certainly building as fans call for him to be replaced with Jose Mourinho reportedly keen on stepping in as his successor, as noted by The Independent.