“It’s the same thing as what I’m doing now”, the United manager said.
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I shall retire [after this job].
Van Gaal earlier this week cast a few doubt on the idea that he will walk away from United in 18 months by saying “you never know”, but also stressed delaying his retirement would be hard on his wife.
“If you have any interesting questions for Sunday’s game I can answer, but apart from that let’s not come back always to the same story”.
“I think Arsenal are one of the best teams in the league, in a technical and tactical sense – maybe the best”.
Van Gaal – who had already described Wenger and Ferguson as “other types” to him in terms of their longevity in one job and his more nomadic career – was then asked if it would be enough for him to go so long at a top club without winning the top prize. That is my ambition.
“However, I would expect Arsenal to be one of the three or four challenging for that Premier League trophy at the end of the season“.
“As I said, I am not that type”.
“Listen, they’re soft – Arsenal are soft”, Keane said in his role as an ITV pundit.
By contrast, Wenger is once again under pressure in the Emirates Stadium hotseat, with Tuesday’s defeat to Olympiacos leaving Arsenal’s hopes of Champions League progression hanging by a thread.
“You always get that”.
But Chelsea striker Diego Costa remains confident the champions, who are languishing in 14th place following last weekend’s draw with Newcastle, can still mount a successful title defence as long as they don’t let the criticism get to them.
“If we win against Arsenal, the belief shall raise a lot I think”.
Van Gaal’s contract at United expires in the summer of 2017.
The 34-year-old midfielder sat out United’s win over Wolfsburg on Wednesday before being called up to Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions squad on Thursday.
“The solution is recovery”, van Gaal said.
“But I am fit now, I am itching to play and hopefully I can be a part of it”. He was not really injured – it was a minor injury of tiredness.
“I set aims and I was very lucky that clubs or national teams wanted me”.
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But United defender Phil Jones feels there will always be critical voices and is happy that he and his team-mates have been able to surprise people by climbing to top spot.
