Van Gaal concedes United fear factor is gone

José Mourinho is prepared to wait until the close of the season to become the Manchester United manager, but if the position is not offered then, he will explore other options because he has no wish to be left in limbo all summer.

Sir Alex Ferguson selected the former Everton manager as his successor and he now wants Van Gaal’s assistant Ryan Giggs to replace the Dutchman over Mourinho.

The Red Devils’ troubled campaign has taken further turns for the worse in their last two outings, with them being beaten 2-1 at Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League and then losing their Europa League last-32 first leg at FC Midtjylland by the same score.

Mourinho is expected to be paid about £16million-a-year to mark his return to management after being sacked by the Blues earlier this season.

The manager knows his players’ confidence is low and he faces a fight to ensure they bounce back and avoid defeat in the fifth round by the relegation-threatened League One club.

It could be said that United’s game against Shrewsbury will determine whether or not there will be a new manager coming through the Old Trafforddoors in the coming weeks.

I look at both those games and United should win them both and I really think they will, I really believe they will win both games.

“To be brutally honest I can’t tell the board how to act if we beat them. I don’t think they should (sack van Gaal)”.

“It is a question of winning matches in a row”.

“You have to keep the ball better and not give unnecessary losses away”.

Immediately after the defeat to Midtjylland Van Gaal spoke to his squad about ensuring they are ready for the challenge from Micky Mellon’s side.

On paper there is a gulf in class between United, 20 times champion of England and 11-time winners of the FA Cup, and a Shrewsbury side battling for survival in the third tier.

A major criticism of Van Gaal this season, apart from results, has been United’s style of play, with the team being branded tiresome and boring to watch and devoid of the attacking flair synonymous with the club.