Louis van Gaal Leaves Manchester United: Latest Comments and Reaction

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal left the club on Monday after two seasons in charge at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils relayed the news via a club statement from executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward just two days after the Dutchman guided United to FA Cup glory at Wembley Stadium:

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I would like to thank Louis and his staff for their excellent work in the past two years culminating in winning a record-equalling 12th FA Cup for the club (and securing him a title in four different countries). He has behaved with great professionalism and dignity throughout his time here. He leaves us with a legacy of having given several young players the confidence to show their ability on the highest stage. Everyone at the club wishes him all the best in the future.

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Van Gaal also issued a statement on his departure, which reads in part:

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It has been an honour to manage such a magnificent club as Manchester United FC, and in doing so, I have fulfilled a long-held ambition.

I am immensely proud to have helped United win the FA Cup for the 12th time in the club's history. I have been privileged during my management career to have won 20 trophies but winning the FA Cup, which is steeped in so much history, will always be one of the most special achievements of my career.

I am very disappointed to be unable to complete our intended three-year plan. I believe that the foundations are firmly in place to enable the club to move forward and achieve even greater success.

I hope that winning the FA Cup will give the club a platform to build upon next season to restore the success that this passionate set of fans desire.

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In his first term, Van Gaal steered the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. However, while his second campaign ended with a trophy, they finished in fifth position in the Premier League and subsequently missed out on Europe's elite club competition.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is now anticipated to fill the vacant post at Old Trafford, per Dan Roan and Simon Stone of BBC Sport. Manchester United's statement noted that a "decision on a successor as manager will be announced soon."

The Red Devils' hopes of securing a top-four finish and Champions League football next season looked good before a costly 3-2 defeat at West Ham United on May 10. Had United avoided defeat in that game, they would have finished a place higher.

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Concerns had emerged prior to that surrender, though. Earlier in the season, results at home were particularly disappointing on the Dutchman's watch, as Newcastle United, Norwich City, Southampton and champions Leicester City all took points away from Old Trafford.

Van Gaal's teams were criticised for their pedestrian brand of football, too. Fans wanted to see victories claimed in the cavalier, attacking style of football played under former boss Sir Alex Ferguson, but the Dutchman's blueprint was the antithesis of that. Bland and conservative football was served up frequently.

Even the manager himself admitted he became frustrated during games, according to Daniel Taylor of the Guardian: "There are also matches where I'm very bored or angry because we are not disorganising our opponent’s defence, but that is football."

Style was an issue even when the Red Devils won games, but when results dipped—especially late in 2015, when the club were dumped out of Europe and went seven games without a win—it became a millstone that sunk the Dutchman's tenure.

The 64-year-old was also reportedly something of a taskmaster. According to Taylor, he had a tracker installed to check whether players were reading emails he had sent to them detailing areas for improvement.

Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick also reportedly had to speak to Van Gaal about his propensity to "crucify players in front of each other," per Taylor.

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Van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford following his successful foray into international football, where he guided the Netherlands to third place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But he found the demands of modern-day club management too tough to handle, including recruitment.

He famously splashed a British transfer-record £59.7 million on Angel Di Maria in 2014, only to sell the winger to Paris Saint-Germain one season later. Another expensive import, Memphis Depay, also struggled to adapt to life in England's top flight despite a successful relationship at international level. Van Gaal ditched fan favourites like Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck as well.

His successes included the capture of Anthony Martial from AS Monaco, a youngster who starred during his first season in English football, and the rapid development of teenager Marcus Rashford, who emerged and thrived during Van Gaal's tenure.

Ultimately, Van Gaal was a bad fit for United's rebuild in the post-Ferguson era. Now the club must put its faith in a new man who can lift sagged standards and galvanise a fanbase that was plunged into a malaise during the Dutchman's time at the helm.