Van Gaal should resign as Man Utd manager

Former Manchester United midfielder and Netherlands international Arnold Muhren believes embattled manager Louis van Gaal should leave Old Trafford.

Van Gaal is under immense pressure following United's shock 2-1 loss at Midtjylland in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on Thursday.

After suffering their 11th defeat of the season in all competitions, and United six points adrift of the Premier League's top four, Van Gaal's days in Manchester appear numbered, with Jose Mourinho reportedly waiting in the wings.

Muhren, who spent three years at United during the 1980s, was blunt to Omnisport that his compatriot should resign: "Yeah, but he says he doesn't want to do that. I think he would see that as a big loss.

"They let him spend a lot of money. People shouldn't forget that he also sold some players. But besides that, a club like United should play for trophies all the time.

"There were several moments this year that they didn't play well and the results were bad as well. If you don't play well but you win, they think 'OK but at least we have three points'. But they don't play good.

"It's also not a stable team. There were so many changings during the season."

Muhren added: "Manchester United are so big. The club is well known in the whole world so they always have to play for trophies. I think Louis van Gaal is a fantastic manager. I think everyone knows that.

"But if you sign a three-year deal like Van Gaal did and you say 'OK the first year we see how it goes, the second year we have to be at the top four and the third year we're going to be champions...' You don't have that much time at a club like Manchester United.

"If you sign there you can't say we have to be there within a couple of years. You have to perform immediately."

Yet while Muhren believes Van Gaal's time is up, the 64-year-old feels the English media is making matters worse for the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.

"He always had great successes everywhere but now...The English press complicates his work as well," Muhren said. "The journalists are waiting for Manchester to make a mistake so that can write negative things about Louis.

"I got the impression that it became a sort of a battle between Louis and the press. When I read the English papers I think to myself 'Oh my God, what is going on there?"