Louis Van Gaal Job Doubts Raised, Juan Mata Removal Reportedly Baffled Teammates

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal reportedly may have to finish top of Premier League to save his job, and it’s suggested he’ll have to win over his players if he’s to do so, with the Red Devils squad said to have been left "bemused" by his decision to substitute Juan Mata against Wolfsburg.

United crashed out of the Champions League against the Bundesliga side on Tuesday evening, losing 3-2 to finish third in their group. It means all attention will now turn to the Premier League for the Dutchman, with the Red Devils still in the race for domestic glory.

According to Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star, success in the league is now imperative if Van Gaal is to see out his three-year contract:

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The Dutchman, who has spent more than £250 million on big name signings since taking charge, still has the backing of the Old Trafford board despite some mediocre results and criticism that his tactics are boring. 

But Starsport understands United have made winning the title their priority this season and club chiefs will not accept just a top four finish and return to the Champions League.

Van Gaal is one of the highest paid bosses in European football and United want to see a return on their investment, otherwise his position will be under threat with Carlo Ancelotti waiting in the wings.

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Cross suggested the Red Devils will seek to spend big in January in an attempt to breathe some life into their title challenge, with Southampton’s Sadio Mane a primary target. However, given his record when it comes to transfers so far, you can bet there is a sense of reluctance to hand Van Gaal another big chunk of cash midseason.

There is a chance to capitalise in a wide-open Premier League, though. As Bleacher Report’s Rob Blanchette noted, for all Van Gaal’s flaws, United are right in the hunt for the title:

But it seems as though some of the players may need convincing. According to James Ducker of the Times, the decision to withdraw Mata from the game against Wolfsburg in the 69th minute was greeted with “bemusement” by the squad. Ducker also wrote: “There is mounting frustration and disenchantment among the players over his approach and methods.”

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Julien Laurens of BT Sport was similarly confused by the decision to take the Spaniard, United’s most creative player, off and replace him with 21-year-old Nick Powell, who had not previously played a single minute for the Red Devils this season:

Of course, United fans, like supporters of any club, want to see youngsters given a chance. To his credit, that is one very positive facet of Van Gaal’s management.

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A succession of injuries has left his squad ravaged too, but there’s a time and a place to blood fresh faces into the starting XI, and a crucial Champions League fixture away from home isn’t one of them. The players, it would seem, agree with that assessment too, especially at the expense of a controlling, experienced operator such as Mata.

Either way, it’s becoming increasingly clear Van Gaal has a big task on his hands if he’s to remain as United boss beyond this campaign. Having been drawn in a relatively straightforward group, topping it should have been on the cards for this group; that they failed to do so is a damning indictment of the Dutchman’s principles.