Mourinho needs to finish at least sixth to stay at Manchester United.
“Manchester United manager Eric van Gaal will be sacked if the club fails to finish in the top six in the final league standings this season,” British outlet TeamTalk reported on Wednesday.
Van Gaal took charge of the club last July. When he was appointed, United gave him virtually full control, including the right to sign players.
It’s been a massive reinforcement. From the first season, astronomical transfer fees were spent to bring in star players like Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, and Anthony.
The reinforcements continued this summer. Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Mason Mount, and more. It was almost as much as last season.
The return on investment has been disappointing, with United sitting in eighth place in the Premier League after 20 games with 10 wins, one draw, and nine losses for 31 points.
In Europe, the club packed it in early. The Red Devils crashed out of the Champions League Group A after a disastrous six-game campaign with one win, one draw, and four losses.
Van Gaal’s future is unclear. It has been suggested that Jim Ratcliffe will sack Van Gaal when he finalizes his takeover of the club.
It’s not as if Van Gaal is on the way out. According to the report, United hierarchy has decided not to sack Van Gaal in the middle of the season.
Experts agree. “There is no reason to sack Van Gaal during the season,” former United soccer pundit Lee Sharp said on air.
“To be honest, I don’t think there are too many candidates to take over from him at the moment,” he explained.
His future at United is not guaranteed. He needs to finish at least sixth in the league this season. If he fails to achieve that goal, it’s unlikely he’ll be in charge of the club next season.
Only once in the Premier League have United failed to finish in the top six. United finished the 2013/14 season in seventh place. David Moyes, the manager at the time, was sacked in the middle of the season.
Van Gaal’s shoulders are heavy. “I think United should finish the season in the top six at the very least, otherwise Van Gaal will be in serious trouble,” says Lee Sharp.
“It is difficult to predict United’s final position at this point. United have been very disappointing and inconsistent this season.”
