MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Dec 29, (Agencies): Louis van Gaal has vowed to fight on as Manchester United manager, but admits that the matter may yet be taken out of his hands by the club’s board.
The Dutchman, 64, has faced three weeks of speculation after a run of games that has seen United slip to sixth place in the Premier League table and limp out of the Champions League in the group phase.
Despite an improved display, they could only draw 0-0 with misfiring champions Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday — their sixth goalless stalemate at home of the season — but Van Gaal said that behind the scenes, everyone at the club was pulling in the same direction.
“The environment (around the club) is making the crisis,” he said.
“Inside the club the players are willing to fight for every metre, the manager is willing to fight, the members of staff are willing to fight and the board is very confident in the staff and their manager.”
Speaking after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke City, which was United’s fourth in a row, a subdued Van Gaal had suggested that he could elect to leave the club rather than wait for the axe to fall.
But he was defiant after the draw with Chelsea, proclaiming “I shall not resign” in a television interview, and explaining that he had raised the issue of resignation merely to demonstrate that the club did not hold all the cards with regard to his future.
He also said that he had walked out of a press conference prior to the Stoke game in protest at “lies” in the media.
“That’s the reason I walk away in the press conference,” he said. “Not with a ‘stormy’ head or ‘angry’ head. No, I walk with a quietness because I want to make my point.”
United appeared to have rediscovered an element of vim in the early stages against Chelsea, with Juan Mata and Anthony Martial hitting the woodwork.
Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney also went close, while Willian might have conceded a penalty for handball, but Chelsea had chances of their own, David de Gea thwarting John Terry, Pedro Rodriguez and Cesar Azpilicueta, and Nemanja Matic blazing over when clean through.
For all his talk of fighting on, Van Gaal acknowledged that he will be powerless to do anything if United’s owners the Glazer family and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward decide to remove their backing.
“I have said that Manchester United has a lot of confidence in (their) manager and I have not received that in every club,” he said.
“But of course I know that there are circumstances that a board has to decide to sack the manager. I’m looking always from my point of view and that can be not the right view.
“In this crazy football world that can happen every day, also with me. When it happens to Jose Mourinho, then it can happen with me.”
Interim manager Guus Hiddink was satisfied with Chelsea’s 0-0 draw at Manchester United on Monday, especially as the Premier League champions played without a recognised striker.
Diego Costa was suspended after being booked in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Watford while fellow attackers Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao were sidelined by injury, forcing winger Eden Hazard to occupy the unfamiliar position of centre forward.
“Tactically it was okay, defensively we were well organised,” Hiddink told reporters at Old Trafford.
“We didn’t have full power to hurt United … we have some problems in the striker position due to suspension and injuries so we had to think how to solve that problem.
“Hazard has done it before and he is capable of doing it because he’s a very versatile player,” added Hiddink who took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho earlier this month.
“I’m pleased because we had some good opportunities in the second half.”
The best of the chances to which Hiddink referred fell to midfielder Nemanja Matic who ran clean through but blazed his effort embarrassingly high over the bar when all he had to do was beat goalkeeper David De Gea in a one-on-one situation.
Chelsea are 14th in the table after winning one match and drawing the other two since Mourinho was dismissed.
“The players have experienced a very bad half-year,” said Hiddink, who has taken over until the end of the season. “They have to lift it up and that’s what we have talked about in the locker room.
“Everyone is convinced we couldn’t go on on the same path and we have shown that in the last three games. It’s normal to see the character and desire of the players but they have shown a lot of ambition in the last three games.
“That’s what we are asking and when everyone is on board hopefully then we can use the quality of the players,” said Hiddink.
“I would have been more worried if there was a lack of confidence or ambition but I don’t see that at the moment in this team.”
