Louis van Gaal has claimed that his style is working at Manchester United because they are still competing on three fronts this season.
The 64-year-old has been widely criticised for his results and methods in his time at Old Trafford, having spent over £250m on new players.
But, with sixth-place United still in the FA Cup and Europa League, Van Gaal has rejected accusations that he has fallen short of expectations.
“I think it is working,” Van Gaal told BBC Sport. “It is not giving the best results. It is not good enough when you think you have to be a champion, or win the Europa League or the FA Cup.
“There are many of my colleagues who are not in three competitions any more.”
So, the Dutchman is delusional as well as stubborn and outdated.
If the Red Devils lose tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final with West Ham United, perfectly plausible considering that the high-flying Londoners are above their opponents in the Premier League table , then Van Gaal’s side won’t be competitive on any front whatsoever.
Their Europa League campaign is hanging by a thread after Thursday’s 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool, in a last-16 first leg in which they were anything but competitive.
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And they are three points adrift of the top four in the Premier League – a secondary prize that United are only now settling for because they are 13 points off the title race pace.
That Van Gaal feels this is acceptable at a club of the magnitude of Manchester United is part of the problem. They need a manager who won’t accept anything but first. They need Jose Mourinho.
The Special One has his flaws, but he would not pussyfoot around United’s failures, insulting the intelligence of supporters who know better than Van Gaal what the club’s expectations are.
Reports linking Mourinho to the United job have been met with trepidation by some sections of the United fanbase because of the often destructive nature in which is managerial reigns end.
But he is a winner. The former Chelsea boss demands and delivers success everywhere that he goes. Van Gaal was a winner, but not anymore. If he was, he wouldn’t be so accepting of his own mediocrity.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and United’s prospects are getting desperately bleak with every day that Van Gaal remains in charge. It is time for Mourinho to come and shake things up.
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