Louis van Gaal: What I think about Manchester United’s defeat to Stoke

Manchester United head coach Louis van Gaal has accused his players of being too scared to play football because of the mounting pressure as they succumbed to third consecutive loss in the English Premier League (EPL).

Van Gaal watched on as his side slumped to a 2-0 defeat at the Brittania stadium, and afterwards the former Netherlands boss admitted his future is up in the air. “And I have to deal with that, but much more important is that the players have to deal with that because they have to perform”.

Van Gaal is due to be hosting fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink who has returned to ailing champion Chelsea after Jose Mourinho’s departure.

“I can also quit by myself, but that is something that I speak with Ed Woodward by himself, and not with you”, Van Gaal said in his post-match press conference. “We have lost the fourth game (in succession), so you have to wait and see”.

“You can say I have failed if you like, but I don’t think it’s like that”, Van Gaal said.

When asked how long he thought he had left at the club, Van Gaal said: “Yeah, that’s the question, that’s always the question but I have said already, also on television, there’s another situation because we lost the fourth match in a row so there’s again another situation but I feel, I feel the support of everybody in the club”.

“I look for leadership, for fight throughout the team, the togetherness, and all of those things seem to be missing”.

They will be looking to put the loss to Stoke behind them, when they take on another struggling Premier League giant, Chelsea, on Monday.

Van Gaal’s comments and demeanor suggest his stay at Old Trafford is reaching an endgame after barely 18 months in charge.

Whether or not the Dutch tactician can mastermind a turnaround remains to be seen, but he is certainly running out of time to prove to the board and supporters that he is capable of doing so as United’s chances of making the top four and qualifying for the Champions League continue to dwindle.

Hiddink’s first match in charge ended in a 2-2 draw at home to high-flying Watford after Oscar missed a second-half penalty that could have secured back-to-back wins.