Louis van Gaal Talks Manchester United Exit Rumours, Memphis Depay, Wayne Rooney

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal admitted his job may no longer be secure following the club's 2-0 loss against Stoke City on Boxing Day, the Red Devils' fourth loss in a row.

As shared by Daniel Taylor of the Guardian, the Dutchman didn't sound particularly optimistic when asked about his future:

Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic scored just seven minutes apart to give Stoke the lead at the Britannia Stadium, and the Red Devils never looked likely to mount a comeback. It was another disappointing performance from a squad that hasn't won a match since Nov. 21.

Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe was shocked by the losing streak:

Fans and pundits immediately wondered what a loss like this meant for Van Gaal's future, and the manager didn't help matters when he said the choice wouldn't necessarily have to come down to the club, via Rob Harris of the Associated Press:

Van Gaal acknowledged his team simply didn't play up to par, and per Tom Williams of Agence France-Presse, the mounting pressure surely played a part:

The former Bayern Munich boss has been in the centre of a media storm of late, but he believes the ongoing situation is also difficult on his players:

Van Gaal also addressed his curious pre-match press conference, a five-minute rant in which he mainly talked about the media, per the Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler. While Van Gaal's exit was dramatic, he maintained he wanted to clarify some things, not vent:

The Dutchman made a big decision before the match, leaving captain Wayne Rooney on the bench and starting Dutch winger Memphis Depay and battering ram Maroune Fellaini behind Anthony Martial.

It was a bold move that didn't pay off, as United failed to find any consistency in their attack in the opening 45 minutes. At half-time, Rooney entered the pitch in favour of Memphis. By that time, Memphis' biggest contribution had been a horrendous back-pass that resulted in an easy goal for Stoke.

Van Gaal didn't mention his compatriot by name, but it was clear what he thought of the goal, via Squawka News:

Per the Premier League's official Twitter account, Van Gaal said his decision to start Rooney on the bench was a tactical one:

Rooney has scored only two Premier League goals all season, per WhoScored.com, so if Van Gaal decided to leave him on the bench due to his sloppy form, it's a justifiable decision.

It's unclear what will happen with Van Gaal next. United still sit in sixth place in the Premier League standings and are tied with fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on points. The club's current form is dreadful, but the Red Devils are still near course for a top-four finish, which should be considered a successful season at this point.

Midfielder Michael Carrick maintained Van Gaal still has the support of the players, as shared by Williams:

This losing streak can't continue, however, and it wouldn't come as a major surprise if the Red Devils announced they plan on taking a different direction in the coming days.   

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