The mood has darkened around Old Trafford. There are a plethora of reasons why many of the United faithful are at the end of their tether with Louis van Gaal.
The sense of exasperation can be distilled into two simple facts: the results aren’t good enough, and the performances are soul-destroyingly dull. Both in conjunction simply won’t do at one of the biggest – and richest – clubs in the world.
After David Moyes’ brief era of indecision and unsure bafflement, Louis van Gaal certainly had the self-confidence and experience for the job if nothing else. Sure enough, he went about restructuring the squad with gusto.
But now the process has stalled badly, and these are uncertain times. Even the walking ego is doubting himself. The man who was convinced that his Red and White Army adored him due to a oft-amended generic chant is noticeably shaken.
“I don’t want to finish my career with the club sacking me,” confided a candid Van Gaal prior to Saturday’s game with Norwich City. “That would be a great disappointment for me to say goodbye to the football world by being fired.”
His post-match comments were also tinged with rare self-awareness. “[I am] always evaluating, and of course the philosophy is very important for me. Because of that I am – or maybe I have to say now, was – a very successful manager.”
Already talk has turned to who should replace the Dutchman, despite all the noises from Old Trafford suggesting his position is safe. Unfortunately for Van Gaal, a ridiculously successful former protege is in between jobs.
Whispers of Jose Mourinho’s name are fast turning into a loud cacophony – and it has as much to do with the current footballing landscape beyond Old Trafford as anything else. Time is very much of the essence.
At the time of writing, the following looks very likely: Pep Guardiola will take charge of Manchester City in the summer, and his replacement at Bayern Munich will be Carlo Ancelotti. Two solutions fall at once.
The former domino is the most painful to take for the red half of Manchester. More than any player, Guardiola’s arrival at the Etihad has huge implications for what is tediously referred to as the Mancunian ‘balance of power’.
The Catalan represents everything that United fans yearn for: success, attractive football, trust in youth, and legacy. He would undoubtedly be the ideal replacement for Van Gaal. But it seems increasingly likely that he is Eastlands-bound.
The only manager who comes close in terms of style, suitability, ethos and charisma is Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp. With both of United’s greatest rivals stealing the cream, the dangerous prospect of acquiring Mourinho’s dark arts becomes impossibly tempting.
All the question marks still remain: Jose doesn’t stick around; Jose neglects youth in preference for immediate solutions; Jose is safety-first and conservative in style; Jose’s teams burn bright and fizzle out upon his departure; Jose is trouble.
But all those fears evaporate in the heat of desperation. The single biggest argument for employing Mourinho is his overlong CV cluttered with success. Despite this season’s spectacular aberration, he is the surest bet for immediate success.
If Guardiola and Klopp are irresistible acquisitions, the Portuguese would be a vital insurance policy offsetting their threat. And so a growing number of United supporters are willing to overlook his foibles and give into their basest instincts.
The prospect of a grinning Mourinho swanning into an Old Trafford press conference is incredibly seductive. The very idea was formerly wrong on so many levels, but it has become a fatal attraction near impossible to resist.
Just be careful what you wish for…
