LVG Has Himself To Blame

Manchester United's defeat by Southampton was the worst moment during Louis van Gaal's tenure at Old Trafford, and he only has himself to blame, say the Sunday Supplement panel.

United suffered their sixth Premier League loss of the season, losing 1-0 to Charlie Austin's late header, ensuring Van Gaal and his side left the pitch to jeers at the full-time whistle.

And the Sunday Times' Jonathan Northcroft said the booing seemed to be a defining moment for the Dutchman, who led United to a fourth-place finish last term.

Northcroft said: "It was certainly the worst moment for Van Gaal. To see this proud guy strutting down the touchline getting booed with his clipboard hanging by his side was a defining image.

"Once the fans turn on you, and once the hierarchy start to get nervous as a result of that, the environment starts to change.

"And it did feel like a bit of a moment we'll look back on when he does go when we do a timeline of Van Gaal's departure. It did feel like one of those days.

"It wasn't 60,000 people booing but it was enough."

The Daily Telegraph's Paul Hayward believes the Manchester United board opted against sacking Van Gaal last month as they do not want to be seen as a 'sacking club', but they may be left with no choice before long.

United are in fifth in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-place Tottenham, and Hayward insists Champions League qualification is looking increasingly unlikely.

Hayward said: "I think the board decided they didn't want to sack another manager unless they really had to, because it was going to give them more problems than it would solve, and they didn't want to develop a reputation for sacking managers so soon after David Moyes had been sacked.

"What they have is every chance of not qualifying for the Champions League now. The problem is right back on their toes.

"Do they fiddle away until the end of the season or take drastic action now and either appoint Jose Mourinho or give it to Ryan Giggs and put people around him to get him through?

"Is he finished? Yes, maybe not today but I think he's finished in the long term. He will only have himself to blame. We talk about Arsene Wenger having a good idea and sticking at it for 20 years, Van Gaal has a bad idea and is sticking with it for two seasons.

"That bad idea is that ball rotation and sideways and backwards movement will be successful in Premier League football.

"There's no evidence to suggest that's true, and he seems reluctant to abandon this style of play, this cautious, negative, slow style of play. That's the bit that baffles me, why doesn't he say: 'It's not working, we're going to change it.'"

Jose Mourinho's agent has described claims the former Chelsea boss has written to Manchester United in a bid to become their next manager as "absolutely ridiculous and totally absurd".

A report in the Independent on Sunday claimed Mourinho sent a six-page missive outlining why he would be the right man to replace Van Gaal if he leaves Old Trafford.

Credit: Skysports.com