Louis van Gaal Hits out at Media During Manchester United Awards Night Speech

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal took a swipe at the media at the club’s end-of-season awards on Monday and claimed he’s one of the top coaches in world football.

The Dutchman spoke at the dinner, which saw David De Gea and Chris Smalling pick up the Player of the Year and Players’ Player of they Year awards, respectively.

And he discussed the pressures of managing a football club when there is persistent speculation about his future, per Elliott Bretland of the MailOnline:

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I’m a coach, a manager who would rather have some authority but every day the players can read it, what do you think about my authority as well? What do you think about the way they want to follow my advice when the coach is shown like a nobody?

And I am not what the media is writing because I am very arrogant, because I am one of the best managers in the world. 

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Jon Super/Associated Press

While United can still win the FA Cup this term, it’s been a disappointing campaign overall for Van Gaal and his players. 

Barring a late collapse from Arsenal, there will be no UEFA Champions League football at Old Trafford in 2016-17, making it two out of the last three seasons that there's been no top-level European football at the club.

According to Sam Wallace of the Sunday Telegraph, the Red Devils have approached Jose Mourinho about taking the job in the summer.

As BBC's Simon Stone (h/t Richard Conway of BBC Sport) reported, Van Gaal feels he has the tools to finish top of the pile next season given the chance:

Sadly, when expectations aren’t met at a club like United, speculation is inevitable.

Mourinho being out of a job after being axed by Chelsea earlier this season has added further fuel to the fire; it’s not often a manager of his pedigree is available as a free agent for such a sustained period.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Perhaps the Red Devils could have come out and made their intentions to keep Van Gaal clear, something that would have afforded the Dutchman a little more clout inside the dressing room during these testing times. But the fact they have opted against doing so may be a pointer about their future intentions.

Indeed, Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph thinks, given the club’s position in the league table, it’s a matter of time before the veteran boss gets the boot:

Van Gaal would love to sign off with a win in the FA Cup final and plenty of United supporters would be delighted for him to cap the campaign with a trophy.

While results have not gone well, a lot of the club’s fans are fond of their manager for the straight-talking approach he takes to media duties.

Regardless, Van Gaal would leave a strong legacy and a crop of talented young players for a future manager to work with. But there have been times this season when the unrelenting nature of modern football seems to have caught up with the former great.