Louis van Gaal Reportedly Has 5 Games to Save Manchester United Future

Louis van Gaal's future as Manchester United boss will reportedly be determined "over the next month."

That's according to David McDonnell of the Mirror, who believes the Dutchman's tenure will come to an end if United fail to maintain fourth in the Premier League. Fixtures against Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester City arrive before the end of March—an extremely difficult run by anyone's standards.

"While the Old Trafford board retain faith in Van Gaal to fulfill his remit of securing a top-four spot, the Dutchman's position will come under scrutiny if United fall away over those crucial games," writes McDonnell.

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Get through these, and a difficult away trip to Everton follows. David Moyes lost his United job after suffering defeat to the Goodison Park side on April 22, 2014, but McDonnell's article hints Van Gaal may not even make it that far.

However, contrasting reports have emerged suggesting that Van Gaal has the full backing of the United hierarchy. That's according to ESPN FC sources, who claim that the Dutchman's position remains "rock solid". The piece also suggests that while his predecessor's loss of support from the dressing room was key to his eventual dismissal, that is not the case with the current boss.

It's been a strange season for the Red Devils. The side have completely lost their attacking identity over the course of the last two years, often opting for cautious long-ball tactics. Various formations have come and gone without success, including the 3-5-2 Van Gaal tried to force on his squad at the start of the campaign. 

Monday's FA Cup quarter-final loss to Arsenal ended the team's hopes of securing a trophy for a second successive season.

Van Gaal has been unable to get the best out of on-loan striker Radamel Falcao, who didn't even make it off the bench when United needed a goal against the Gunners. Instead of taking on a leading role, the Colombian rocked up for the side's youth team on Tuesday, per McDonnell:

Record-signing Angel Di Maria picked up a red card after diving and then tugging the referee's shirt against Arsenal, compounding his misery after a poor run of form. His petulance summed up a United side who have seemingly run out of ideas. While FA Cup defeat was disappointing, things could quickly get a whole lot worse for the side who are two points clear of Liverpool in the final Champions League place.

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One defeat along the outlined five league matches could be enough to see United's top-four dreams banished for another year. However, Richard Tanner of the Express doesn't believe United's board will ditch Van Gaal if he fails to deliver at the first time of asking.

United "will stick by Louis van Gaal even if he fails to clinch a return to the Champions League—and will be given a £150 million-plus transfer war chest to complete his overhaul of the squad," writes Tanner. Moyes wasn't provided with such leniency, though, so this remains to be seen.

ESPN FC writer Musa Okwonga provided his thoughts on Van Gaal's situation:

"

Every manager, certainly, has bad games or bad weeks. But unfortunately for Manchester United, the Dutchman has had several in succession. The question is whether Old Trafford will ever see the fruits of his genius or if the end for him is far closer than we realise.

[...] The most damning indictment of Van Gaal's showing so far at United is that, in tactical terms, he is being out-thought almost every week.

"

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While it's surprising United haven't dropped more points this season—currently sat just one behind Arsenal—Van Gaal's crucial moments are approaching. The club's prospects will be decided by how he and the team negotiates the season's final games. All of the previous work—not progress—will be undone if the side doesn't gather winning momentum.

It could be costly for United to axe a second manager in as many seasons, but it will be far more expensive to remain out of the Champions League for at least another year.