Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will definitely be on his toes after Chelsea sacked Jose Mourinho this past week, as he tries to bring the Red Devils back to winning ways.
The Red Devils welcome newly promoted Norwich City to Old Trafford on Saturday, and Louis van Gaal must make sure that his team delivers after a bad run of form that saw them get knocked out of the Champions League and lose to AFC Bournemouth. The sacking of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho must also be playing on the Dutchman’s mind.
“It’s a big surprise for me, I didn’t expect it,” he said ahead of the match against Norwich City, according to goal.com.
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“[He is] a fantastic manager with a record that nobody has in this football world.
“But it is still possible, and what I have said in my own press conference is that the main thing is always of course the results first and then the chemistry between the players, the manager and his staff.
“I cannot judge what is happening at Chelsea but I was surprised. It’s like that. We know that, Jose knows that. It’s this world.”
Results or out
Jose Mourinho was given the sack with his team just one point clear of the relegation zone, and though Van Gaal’s United maintain a 4th position on the table, it is a clear sign that Premier League clubs will not shy away from shaking things up in the dressing room if things get bad.
The managerial position at Manchester United was stable under Sir Alex Ferguson. But since his retirement David Moyes felt the wrath of the present day footballing norm of ‘results or out’ and Louis van Gaal could soon follow. If a manager like Mourinho who has done so much for his football club can be sacked, it implies that nobody is safe.