Dutch FA job for Van Gaal?
Louis Van Gaal could be offered a role as technical director of the Dutch FA if he is axed by Manchester United.
|||Louis Van Gaal could be offered a role as technical director of the Dutch FA if he is axed by Manchester United.
Holland boss Danny Blind suggested yesterday that Van Gaal’s job at Old Trafford remains in jeopardy despite a more encouraging performance in Monday’s goalless draw with Chelsea.
Afterwards, Van Gaal, 64, declared that he would not quit but admitted that he could still be sacked if results do not improve after eight games without a win. And Blind believes Van Gaal could be tempted to shelve his retirement plans by ‘an exciting job’ with the Dutch FA if he leaves United before the end of his three-year contract in 2017.
Blind, 54, was Van Gaal’s assistant when he led Holland to the World Cup semi-finals last year and has since taken over charge of the national team from Guus Hiddink.
‘With Van Gaal I could achieve a lot,’ said Blind, whose son Daley joined Van Gaal at Old Trafford last year. ‘He is in the top category. But there are also many other options to think of where the shoe could fit. I do not know if that will happen.’ United defender Chris Smalling dismissed suggestions that the team had stopped playing for their manager in recent weeks as they crashed out of the Champions League and slipped to sixth place in the Premier League table.
Smalling warned that the players are on trial just as much as Van Gaal, saying: ‘If anything we are all playing for our own futures as well, so there’s not a case of no one not playing for the manager.
‘Every week we want to go out there and show everyone what a good team we are and on our day we can beat anyone.’
Chelsea’s players believe Wayne Rooney should have been sent off for his
reckless tackle on Oscar in Monday’s goalless draw at Old Trafford. Rooney has apologised for sinking his studs into Oscar’s shin which left the Brazilian writhing in agony.
‘The other players were talking about it at the end and they said he should have been sent off,’ said midfielder John Mikel Obi. Although United were more adventurous than of late, Mikel claimed Van Gaal’s side were scared to commit too many players to attack following a run of four successive defeats. He said: ‘United had chances to attack, but were a little bit sceptical or hesitant. Maybe they were a little bit scared. ‘Because of the fast players we have up front who can break, they were cautious and approached the game not to lose.’ Chelsea skipper John Terry believes that a second draw in a row under interim boss Guus Hiddink showed that they are heading in the right direction. But Terry admitted that the Premier League table still makes painful reading with Chelsea in 14th, level on points with Norwich and Bournemouth. ‘We owed the fans that performance and I think they can slowly see the tide turning,’ said Terry.– Daily Mail