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Van Gaal could quit United; Arsenal routed by Southampton
Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic, left, and Ibrahim Afellay applaud fans after defeating Manchster United 2-0 in the English Premier League soccer match between Stoke City and Manchester United at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke on Trent, England, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015.
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In other results, Aston Villa and West Ham United drew 1-1, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth drew 0-0, Chelsea and Watford played to a 2-2 draw, Liverpool dealt league-leading Leicester City a 1-0 loss, Manchester City trounced Sunderland 4-1, Swansea City edged West Bromwich Albion 1-0 and Tottenham Hotspur routed Norwich City 3-0.
“I do my utmost best to find solutions to cope with the pressure”, Van Gaal said.
“I can also quit by myself”, Van Gaal said when asked about receiving assurances about his job security, before adding: “It is not always … the club has to fire or sack me”.
Van Gaal has been given two games to save his job – away at Stoke this afternoon and then the home clash with Chelsea on Monday. “That is something I speak to (vice chairman) Ed Woodward (about) by himself – not with you (reporters)”.
It was a hapless first-half performance, and Van Gaal questioned why his players “don’t dare to play football”. “I don’t think that is the sequence”.
However, it wasn’t enough to avoid another defeat and it remains to be seen how long Van Gaal is given to turn the situation around, or if the club hierarchy opt to replace him and try to make the most of their season with renewed focus and commitment.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes had spoken this week of his days as a marauding United striker under Alex Ferguson when the side approached every game expecting to win it and he would have been surprised by his side’s early dominance.
Wayne Rooney was forced to start a league game on the bench for the first time in two years, and United provided a greater threat only with its captain on the field in the second half.
Depay’s mind seemed to be on another planet when he sent a downward header back toward goalkeeper David de Gea in an attempt to clear Geoff Cameron’s deep ball.
“It was a bad goal to give away”, Van Gaal said. “But in the end my players have to do that by themselves”. Krkic’s free kick was blocked by the United wall but the ball came back out to the edge of the penalty area and Arnautovic’s powerful strike beat De Gea.
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United have lost four games in succession in all competitions for the first time since 1996 and gone seven games without victory for the first time since the 1989-90 season.