Speculation over the Dutchman’s future has intensified after goals from Bojan and Marko Arnautovic gave the Potters a 2-0 win.
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I realized I was putting on more and more weight and getting bigger but it was like a snowball I couldn’t stop. He will be buried in Sonora today (Saturday). ” We are dismayed by the news “, she added.
Van Gaal had taken the decision to drop Wayne Rooney for this must-win game against Stoke, opting instead to bring in some players with a creative spark in Ander Herrera and Juan Mata, but their impact was extremely limited.
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They are expected to include members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group and al-Qaeda affiliate the Al-Nusra Front. He reflected the difficulties in identifying moderate rebels from extremists and other militants in Syria.
But it was in his post-match press conference that the former Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Holland manager was cryptic when asked if had considered quitting as United boss.
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Coach Byron Scott believes it will be exactly the way it’s been at all the other stops. “It was the communication”. The Lakers second overall draft pick, D’Angelo Russell, had a huge game in his first ever NBA Christmas Day game.
In another worrying admission, Van Gaal attributed United’s first-half lethargy to an inability to play football.
Van Gaal lamented his players’ inability to handle the pressure, and partly blamed the windy conditions at Stoke. “But that is something that I speak with Ed Woodward by himself and not with you and I don’t have to say that to you”.
Louis van Gaal has claimed it is not his fault that Manchester United are wilting under the pressure of their winless run.
Throughout the match, the home fans of Stoke City repeatedly chanted “You’re getting sacked in the morning”, meaning that Van Gaal will get fired in the morning. But they will act if they feel he has lost the faith of the players and that the side are in freefall.
“When you look at where Man United are now – sixth in the league, out of the Champions League, lost to Bournemouth, Norwich, now at Stoke, it’s been his worst run here”.
Asked whether he had the support of the board, Van Gaal snapped back: “What they have said I don’t have to say to you because it’s not any of your business”. I suspect majority have that. That end might come quickly if United are beaten at home to Chelsea on Monday with Van Gaaladmitting he is struggling and under mounting pressure. Rooney knows that United have to get stronger if they are to overcome these and prove the doubters wrong. That it was the same scoreline after 90 minutes even after the introduction of Rooney in the second half, will probably seal his fate as Manchester United manager.
“We started too late to play our football”, said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri.
A day after British astronaut Tim Peake displayed a Stoke flag on the International Space Station, the central England team was in a different orbit to United in the first half. “It is very hard to do that in just two days but we shall try”.
“Certainly first half I thought we were excellent and it would have taken a very good team to stay with us”.
Stoke have only won once in their last four league matches – in a 2-0 win over Manchester City and they are now looking to beat another Manchester club.
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“You have to be fearless and confident in these situations, and we were”, Mark Hughes said, as if deliberately rubbing in his side’s obvious superiority.
