Ask a large proportion of Manchester United supporters in the Football Transfer Tavern whether they’re happy with Louis van Gaal right now and many of them will claim they’re not.
Eliminated from the Champions League at the hands of Wolfsburg last week before going down 2-1 at AFC Bournemouth ahead of drawing an incredibly uninspiring tie against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, times are tough for the Red Devils at the minute.
The crux of the issue at the moment seems to be the fact that many are reflecting on van Gaal’s time in charge at Old Trafford so far while claiming what exactly has he done beyond restabilising the club?
Splashing a much publicised £250 million on the playing staff of course, some United fans by the bar are actually claiming the club are no closer to the Premier League title under the Dutchman than they were under the ill-fated reign of David Moyes!
While the likes of Bayern Munich splashed £21 million to sign Douglas Costa in the summer, United bought the likes of Anthony Martial for £36 million and it seems a lot of Red Devils fans’ patience is running out regarding van Gaal’s growing series of excuses.
The cold hard fact of the matter is that it’s hard to have sympathy with a manager who has gone out and splashed a shed load of cash on players he believes in such as Memphis Depay while the likes of Javier Hernandez were outcast and sold on because he didn’t rate them.
With all of these things in mind, many are of the opinion that van Gaal might not be around for too much longer and that’s why today, we’ve devised a list of five possible United managerial replacements for him next season.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five possible Manchester United replacements for Louis van Gaal this season.
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Ryan Giggs
Let’s not forget, Ryan Giggs actually already has some experience of managing Manchester United having taken over from the sacked David Moyes at the end of the 2013/14 campaign.
While he was ultimately in charge for a spell of just four fixtures which can’t be indicative of how he’d fare in the role long-term, the Welshman recorded two victories, a draw and a defeat.
One particular highlight of his brief spell in charge was the fact he gave first team debuts to both James Wilson and Tom Lawrence in the home game against Hull City that season and bringing youngsters through was and still continues to be something Red Devils supporters need to see happening at the club.
While the likes of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Guillermo Varela are receiving their chance at present, some United fans are concerned that their new big spending ways are more reminiscent of Chelsea and Manchester City than their true identity.
Although appointing Giggs would be a huge gamble, under their former number 11, this greater sense of United identity would return given all the wonders he produced for the club down the years.
Carlo Ancelotti
The outstanding name on the lost of managers currently unemployed at present, Carlo Ancelotti has of course already won the Premier League title with Chelsea back in 2009/10.
The wise 56-year-old Italian has been there, seen it and done it as a player and a coach and is among the most respected names in football management.
Lets have it right, Louis van Gaal was too but the Dutchman seems to boast too much arrogance and self-assuredness that his methods are right all of the time.
While managers must be confident in their own ability, van Gaal is playing a brand of football which isn’t in line with the United way according to many Red Devils supporters but under somebody like Ancelotti, he’s proved in spells with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid that expansive game plans can work under his guidance.
Alan Pardew
Some of our resident United supporters have laughed this suggestion out of the tavern’s exit doors but a few of our neutrals are asking why exactly?
Navigating his Crystal Palace side to the dizzying heights of sixth-place right now, Alan Pardew has impressively taken the South London side onto the next level following the likes of Neil Warnock and Tony Pulis and it’s refreshing to see for the league.
Used to performing nearer the top of the league as he did with Newcastle United back in the 2011/12 campaign, Pardew has been anything but a disaster at West Ham United, Newcastle and now Palace so why not go for an off-the-wall choice such as this?
Some by the bar use this moment to claim Pardew would be better suited to being England manager than Manchester United but with so many overseas choices linked with the United job, why not go for somebody who already knows the Premier League?
Pep Guardiola
The biggest and best name on this five-man shortlist, surely every club and his wife would love Pep Guardiola in charge of their side given the fact he’s been so successful in spells with both Barcelona and now Bayern Munich.
We read in the Daily Star yesterday that United chiefs are growing increasingly confident that they can do a deal for the Catalan manager but everything will depend on whether he believes he’s achieved everything he wants to at Bayern Munich.
Still yet to win the Champions League with Bayern of course, this season could be their year but whatever happens, Bayern won’t want to get rid of such an enigmatic manager with United’s work being cut out to land the outstanding student of the game.
Then again, the Spaniard could see rebuilding this Manchester United team as a fantastic opportunity for him to prove that he’s a great manager beyond simply managing world class talents at Barca and Bayern.
Guud Hiddink
Currently unemployed like Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink is another who’s pretty much witnessed everything in the game over a long managerial career.
Coming in to steady the Chelsea ship after Luiz Felipe Scolari’s sacking in the 2008/09 campaign, the Dutchman did still managed to win the FA Cup that same season and he’s undoubtedly well respected by fellow peers and the everyday football fan as a gentleman.
Louis van Gaal is still yet to claim silverware at United remember and having been so used to winning trophies season in, season out under Sir Alex Ferguson, it is imperative they land a manager who knows what he’s doing.
Perhaps inclined to do a similar job at Chelsea this term if the Blues do eventually lose patience with Jose Mourinho, Hiddink could also be a viable option for United although our Red Devils fans claim he’s still some way down their list of managers they really want at the moment.