Manchester United’s Louis van Gaal. AP FILE PHOTO
Manchester United may officially be keeping quiet about the future of Louis van Gaal but the manager accepts his position is being increasingly called into question by the club’s fans.
The mood turned sour at Old Trafford during the course of Southampton’s 1-0 win over United on Saturday.
Some fans didn’t even wait until the final whistle to jeer Van Gaal, venting their frustration as soon as Charlie Austin headed in the Saints’ 87th-minute winner.
Jeers rang out around the ground and the Dutchman received further taunts as he headed down the tunnel at full-time.
United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has staked a lot on bringing the Dutchman to Old Trafford and so would be unlikely to want to end his time with the club.
United are now five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League cost David Moyes, Van Gaal’s predecessor, his job but Van Gaal reacted angrily when asked at a news conference if he would resign if there was no improvement in results.
“This question, I shall never answer to you,” he said.
But were United playing their traditional brand of football associated with legendary United managers Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson, vVn Gaal might have some breathing space.