Phil Jones wants Manchester United’s players to stand up and be counted

United were dumped out of the Champions League earlier this month and will now feature in the Europa League in the second half of the campaign, while they have slipped nine points behind Premier League leaders Leicester City having failed to win a league game since the end of November.

Despite reports to the contrary, Jones insists the players are backing Van Gaal to turn the situation around.

But since then his team have lost three games in a row, crashing out of the Champions League with a 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg before being beaten in back-to-back games by promoted clubs, in Bournemouth and Norwich.

If Manchester United were to fire Van Gaal on Boxing day and hire Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese manager’s first assignment would be to ready the troops against his most recent employers, Chelsea on the 29 of December.

Guardiola has been touted as a potential successor to Van Gaal for some time now, and the Guardian suggests that should the Dutchman be fired, Ryan Giggs could take the reins at Old Trafford until the former Barcelona man becomes available in the summer.

After Saturday’s defeat, Mail Online quotes defender Phil Jones saying, “The players in there aren’t hiding behind anyone”.

“Ed was very fast out of the dressing room but I feel that support, yes”, he told reporters.

“The manager is doing all he can and is doing a terrific job”, he added. We know full well we have to take responsibility. “The lads are absolutely fully focused on performing well for the manager, the fans, ourselves week-in, week-out”, Jones said. We can’t accept that and that’s why I have to repeat, we have to stick together and believe in ourselves.

Despite his troubles this season, Ozil has backed the Special One to bounce back and continue to get the best out of players at his next club. There’s no two ways about that.

“Something has to change at United because they have been poor all season and Mourinho would be the flawless fit after his departure from Chelsea, which I think we all saw coming”.

“I’ve encountered these circumstances also with other teams and other staff. The main thing is that you have to be professional and do the things that you have to do and work very hard to come out of this bad period”.