Louis van Gaal Sacked by Manchester United, with Jose Mourinho Lined up as Replacement

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has been sacked by the club, according to reports by Sky Sports.

After two years in charge at Old Trafford, Louis van Gaal has been shown the exit door after failing to lead Manchester United back to glory. Now, Ed Woodward, CEO of the club, is primed to appoint Jose Mourinho as the new boss of the Red Devils.

Louis van Gaal managed to guide the club into Champions League action after his first season in charge, however failed to do so again this campaign, with Man United finishing fifth on the table, behind “noisy neighbours” Man City. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager clinched the FA Cup – his only piece of silverware with the club – as Man United defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday. Nonetheless, the Old Trafford hierarchy settled upon sacking Louis van Gaal, after they spent in excess of £200 million on players during his tenure without any significant returns in terms of trophies or Champions League success.

When the club appointed van Gaal as their manager after the World Cup in 2014, Woodward commented on the Dutchman’s qualities as a coach and his passion for attacking football. Those words will surely haunt Woodward, as Man United have scored merely 111 goals in the Premier League in two seasons under Louis van Gaal – an average of just over 55 goals per season.

“He’s got incredible energy and very importantly he likes attacking football. If you remember the Barcelona team he managed in the late 90s, they played incredible, attacking football. That’s the kind of football Manchester United fans love. It’s part of your DNA,” said the Man United CEO. “I’ve personally found him very warm. He’s a very clever communicator and very direct. I like that in people. I’m a very direct person myself. He’s a stickler for planning and that’s something we as a club do very well. We plan everything in a lot of detail and that’s going to be a good fit.”

(Video credit: The Guardian)But the two-time Champions League winning Portuguese may be a better “fit” for a club like Man United. On top of his two European triumphs, he has nearly six years of management experience in England, and three Premier League titles to his name. Not to mention, he’s the sort of character that can lift the spirit of the team that could see them bring back glory to Old Trafford. (You can keep track of live developments regarding Jose Mourinho and Manchester United with The Guardian.)

Currently, Man United’s chances of winning the Premier League next season are slim, but with Jose Mourinho’s appointment they’re likely to increase considerably. Online sportsbook Bet365 has given them third favourite odds 6.50 (11/2), behind title favourites Man City 2.62 (13/8) and second-placed Chelsea 6.50 (11/2).

(Have a look through Bet365 Sports Review for more info about the online sportsbook.)

Based on an educated guess, we believe the Portuguese manager’s main objective next season will be to finish in the top four of the Premier League, in efforts to book a spot in the Champions League. We’ll have to wait a full season before we see Mourinho and his entertaining antics again in Europe’s elite competition. The Champions League will be so boring next year…