United manager close to cracking as rumors swirl he's all but finished

Embattled Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal showed signs of cracking under pressure as he stormed out of a media briefing on Wednesday after becoming annoyed by questions about his future.

Van Gaal has reportedly been given two games to save his job after United's miserable six-match winless run cost it a place in the Champions League and saw it drop out of the Premier League's top four.

Rumors have been rife this week that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is about to be fired and replaced by Jose Mourinho, who was dismissed by Chelsea last Thursday.

Quizzed about the speculation by reporters at his weekly media conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Stoke, van Gaal quickly became irritated and it was less than five minutes before he decided he had had enough.

Refusing to take any more questions, the Dutchman walked out, saying as he passed a table of mince pies and wine that had been laid on for the media: "I wish you a merry Christmas and also maybe a happy new year when I see you.

"Enjoy the wine and a mince pie. Goodbye."

Van Gaal, who has overseen just three victories in United's past 13 games in all competitions, only answered three questions from the broadcast media and then refused to take any questions from the written press.

It was clear the 64-year-old was in an angry mood from the moment he took his seat in the media room at the club's Carrington training ground.

"Has anybody in this room got a feeling to apologize to me? That's what I'm wondering," he snapped after being asked about (Arsenal manager) Arsene Wenger's claim van Gaal's treatment had been "disrespectful".

Van Gaal, under intense pressure since last Saturday's 2-1 Premier League defeat at home to Norwich, said he has received calls of support from former United manager Alex Ferguson, as well as former chief executive David Gill and current executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Despite that backing he is widely expected to be dismissed by owners the Glazer family if United loses at Stoke on Boxing Day or at home to Chelsea on Monday.

Yet van Gaal feels he has been treated unfairly by the media.

"I think I was already sacked, I read I have been sacked. My colleague (Jose Mourinho) was here already," he said.

"What do you think happens with my wife or my kids? Or with my grandchildren? Or with the fans of Manchester United? Or my friends? What do you think?

"They have called me a lot of times and also Arsene Wenger is saying something about that.

"So you think that I want to talk with the media now? I am here only because of the Premier League rules. I have to talk with you.

"But I can only see when I say something that you use my words in your context. And I want to say only that I have tried to lift the confidence of my players."

Van Gaal gave a speech to his squad at the players' Christmas lunch on Monday, urging them to show unity as they attempt to improve their form while enduring criticism from former United players, the club's fans and the media.

"I have done everything this week. I held meetings with the players and with my members of staff, I hold a Christmas lunch, I did a speech and I feel the warmth and support of everybody in Carrington, at this training complex," he said.

"But I didn't feel that in the media and, of course, I can imagine what you can write about that subject.

"We are not in a good position, but four weeks ago we were first in the Premier League and in four weeks' time we can be back in that position again.

"I have received calls from Alex Ferguson and David Gill and Ed Woodward because you are creating something that is not good, that is not following the facts."

Renowned rants recalled

Three famous soccer media conference rants after Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal stormed out of a news briefing on Wednesday:

Love it, Keegan

Not strictly a media conference, but Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan's famous post-match TV rant at Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has gone down in Premier League folklore.

In the 1996-97 season, as Newcastle's title challenge imploded, Keegan was furious at Ferguson's view that other teams weren't trying as hard against Newcastle as they were against the Old Trafford giant.

"When you do that with footballers like he said about Leeds, and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce ...

"I've kept really quiet but I'll tell you something, he went down in my estimations when he said that. We have not resorted to that. You can tell him now, we're still fighting for this title and he's got to go to Middlesbrough and get something.

"And I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them. Love it.

"But it really has got to me. I've voiced it live, not in front of the press or anywhere. I'm not even going to the press conference. But the battle is still on and Man United have not won this yet."

United won the title by four points.

Bird man Pearson

Former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson accused a journalist of being "an ostrich" during a peculiar tirade following his side's 3-1 Premier League loss to Chelsea in April.

Ian Baker, who was covering the game for AFP, asked Pearson to elaborate after he told his post-match news conference that his players had had to deal with "criticism and negativity".

"Have you been on holiday for six months? Have you been away for six months?" responded Pearson.

"I think you must have either your head in the clouds, or been away on holiday, or reporting on a different team, because if you don't know the answer to that question ... if you don't know the answer to that question then I think you are an ostrich.

"Your head must be in the sand. Is your head in the sand? Are you flexible enough to get your head in the sand? My suspicion would be no. I can, you can't."

No way on Jose, says Wenger

Arsene Wenger launched a scathing attack on Arsenal's "boring" critics and threatened to walk out of a media conference when questioned about Jose Mourinho.

Wenger's side suffered an embarrassing 3-2 defeat at home to Olympiakos in the Champions League in October with ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane labeling the team as weak and soft.

"You come to the game, you judge the game and you assess if I am right or wrong. I never critiqued that, I accept your judgement of how the team played and your assessment, but I don't have to give you all the information I have to make my decisions," Wenger said.

When pressed to respond to the comments of then Chelsea boss Mourinho that there was only one manager in the Premier League not under pressure, Wenger curtly replied: "Look, stop that story or we stop the press conference.

"I think you lack a bit of creativity in the press at the moment, that you follow a bandwagon that is very, very, very, very boring. I don't go along with that."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 12/25/2015 page23)