Bosnich: Van Gaal looks a defeated man

Wayne Rooney has shown sympathy for his manager and said United’s players were working hard to ease the pressure on van Gaal.

Spanish news outlet Fichajes earlier this month reported that Mourinho has been given the green signal to replace van Gaal.

“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.

“I am also part of the four matches we have lost so people are looking at me 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”.

“I think we have to look at ourselves and make sure we do better”, the Brazilian told the club’s website. There was no word from the club in the immediate aftermath of the game on whether the Dutchman would remain in charge. Many thought Stoke would be and with each passing poor result, the calls for him to be sacked immediately are growing louder.

Van Gaal admitted there may have been a sea change in the board’s view of him in light of this latest defeat.

“We have lost the game in the first 45 minutes because we didn’t dare to play our football”, said Van Gaal, whose side host Chelsea on Monday.

Van Gaal oversaw training in Manchester on Sunday and could be boosted in Monday’s key clash by the return of German star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger who has missed three games through suspension.

If United’s players were fighting to save their manager’s job, they didn’t demonstrate it. The response lacked any burning desire to end this United slump.

As usual, on the United bench there was little outgoing evidence of concern, with neither Van Gaal nor assistant Ryan Giggs springing out of their seats to berate or inspire their team. “I am not so interested in public talking”. “I’m sure there will be many meetings going on”.

“It does you give you an opportunity to get a better performance and play well as a team”.

Van Gaal is concerned about the short gap between the Stoke game and the match against the Blues, who themselves have endured a torrid season which culminated in the replacement of Jose Mourinho by Guus Hiddink.

“We were better in the second half but then we didn’t have anything to lose”.