Daily Mail:


[size=14pt]Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is finally off... but he's only moving house![/size]

By Chris Wheeler for the Daily Mail

Louis van Gaal is so intent on completing his three-year contract at Manchester United that he is looking for a new home in Cheshire.

Van Gaal's future remains uncertain as United prepare for Friday's FA Cup fourth round trip to Derby County, but the 64-year-old is in no mood to quit while he retains the support of Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward and Van Gaal has underlined his determination to stay at United by house-hunting with his wife Truus in recent weeks.

Van Gaal and his wife Trrus are said to be very happy in the Cheshire village and want to find somewhere new.

The lease on their luxury £5,500-a-month four-bedroom apartment near Hale is due to expire shortly, but the couple are said to be very happy in the Cheshire village and want to find somewhere else to live in the same area.

Dadehmola:

Thursday marks 13 years since Louis van Gaal's disastrous second spell with Barcelona came to an end. If Manchester United fans think they're enduring a tough season, they should take a look at what the Nou Camp faithful were facing in 2003.

Van Gaal had won back-to-back La Liga titles with Barca in 1997/98 and 1998/99 and, after two years in charge of the Netherlands, he returned to the club in the summer of 2002. However, he was unable to recapture the success of his first stint.

After winning just six out of 19 league games, and with the club languishing in 12th place, three points above the relegation zone, Van Gaal left the club.

"I am really upset that as a coach I haven't lived up to the expectations of the Barcelona fans," he said.

Those comments will sound familiar to United supporters. Following the 1-0 defeat to Southampton at Old Trafford on Saturday, Van Gaal said:

"I'm very disappointed that I cannot reach the expectations of the fans. They have - or they had - great expectations of me, and I cannot fulfil them, so I am very frustrated because of that."

The similarities don't end there. During his second spell in Catalonia, there were mis-judged signings, a falling-out with a big-name player and a failure to kick on with a squad which, despite going several seasons without the league title, had finished fourth the previous year.

Louis van Gaal record

Barcelona in La Liga 2002/03
P:19 W:6 D:5 L:8 W%: 31.6 Position: 12th

Man Utd in Premier League 2015/16
P:23 W:10 D:7 L:6 W%:43.5 Position: 5th

"It was surprising that after a good first spell, and not being away from the club that long, Van Gaal returned and made a real mess of it," says Sky Sports Spanish football expert Terry Gibson.

"They had finished fourth the previous season, so they weren't the best team in Spain. But for them to be languishing in 12th place, just above relegation, was remarkable.

"They had the likes of Patrick Kluivert, Luis Enrique, Marc Overmars and Frank de Boer, as well his own signings, Gaizka Mendieta and Juan Roman Riquelme. But there was a failure to get the best out of the team."

A clash with Brazil star Rivaldo, who had scored 36 goals the previous season, led to the attacker being released from his contract before the season. It was a move which failed to impress the powerful Spanish press. Rivaldo wouldn't be the last big-name player to fall out with Van Gaal, with Angel Di Maria and Robin van Persie later given short shrift at Old Trafford.

"Rivaldo was a popular player at Barcelona," said Gibson. "That was a big issue. I don't think the press and the fans particularly enjoyed that falling out. That seemed to cause him a lot of problems. It smacks of similarities to his falling out with Di Maria.

"The Rivaldo situation gave the press something to get stuck into against a manager they always had a thorny relationship with anyway.

"Then, when you don't get results you get it from all angles. The intensity of the Spanish press is huge. They have 13, 14 pages to fill with Real Madrid and Barcelona stories every day. Every area of the club is under scrutiny.

"If you're manager of Barcelona, falling out with big players, three points above relegation and not getting results, you're going to lose your job."

United fans will be hoping Van Gaal can find a way to turn things around this time. 

SIRcumalot:
nothing since morning,
don't let LVG win.

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal says newspaper stories claiming he offered to resign are "awful and horrible" and believes it is "disrespectful".

GBR1:
Now that it has come to this; I hope we lose to Derby so LVG can go.

GBR1:
Now that it has come to this; I hope we lose to Derby so LVG can go.

Man United want Nigeria star Ahmed Musa;

Manchester United and Leicester are both on the lookout for strikers as the transfer window draws to a close, and the Express reports that the Red Devils could well rival the Foxes for one of Claudio Ranieri's long-term targets.

According to the paper, United are ready to join the race for CSKA Moscow striker Ahmed Musa, with Leicester reported to have had an opening £15.1 million bid rejected. With CSKA thought to be holding out for £18.9m, United would surely be in the driving seat for the fleet-footed Nigerian forward in terms of transfer fees and wages, despite the Foxes' table-topping form.

The 23-year-old striker's agent Tony Harris told the Leicester Mercury that "Ahmed will most likely remain in Moscow," but added "playing in England is tempting for each player." If United get desperate enough, money is obviously no object for a potential late move.

"I have signed a three-year contract here. It's a process, not one game, and I want to continue until the end. When I'm not willing to do that, I don't think I would have started here one-and-a-half years ago.

"When I have signed for clubs, I have always spoken a long time with the CEO or with the owners, not only at United, but also at Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and I have the faith that they always support me.

Louis Van Gaal

Man Utd

In
Adnan Januzaj (Loan at Borussia Dortmund cancelled)

Out
Ben Pearson (Preston North End) Undisclosed
Dean Henderson (Stockport County) Loan
Kieran O'Hara (Morecambe) Loan
Liam Grimshaw (Preston North End) Undisclosed

elampiro:
Gaal blames performance on injury. Says we were in first position two months ago.

I kind of agree with him, but why did he over trim the club? Yet we can't even buy new players. If we can't buy anyone let's bring Nani back. If we are truly interested in Musa I laf. From Di Maria, Nani..... to Musa?

Dadehmola:


How is Musa "worse" than Sadio Manè wey you support Say make we buy?

elampiro:


Did I really supported Mane or I did an analysis of his game? Anyway, Mane was one of the best wingers in the EPL last season. He is fast on a short distance which I don't fully like. He is explosive in the final third. Person wey fit carry the ball far and fast na I want.

Musa will likely come with a problem of having a poor first touch, poor decision and he's a one footed player. Compare these attributes to Nani who can control with both legs with ease, shoot from outside the box with both feet and can do a great counter from the deep.

Nihilist:
United Adidas deal outdone by Madrid...

I honestly wish coogar was about to defend all his false prophesies..

SIRcumalot:
vidic don retire today, great player

SIRcumalot:
vidic don retire today,
great player

GBR1:
Now that it has come to this; I hope we lose to Derby so LVG can go.

adeyemi2015:

But Nani and Consistency are like word and opposite!

adeyemi2015:
UNITED TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT
United: De Gea, Varela, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Fellaini, Schneiderlin, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rooney. Subs: Romero, McNair, Carrick, Herrera, Januzaj, Pereira, Memphis.
Lingard and Fellaini shouldn't suppose to start the Match at the expense of Herrera and Januzaj!

adeyemi2015:
UNITED TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT
United: De Gea, Varela, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Fellaini, Schneiderlin, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rooney. Subs: Romero, McNair, Carrick, Herrera, Januzaj, Pereira, Memphis.
Lingard and Fellaini shouldn't suppose to start the Match at the expense of Herrera and Januzaj!

codedguy1:


Chai oga LvG dey fear like say 2mrw no dey. The guy needs a win like a lost guy in the desert looking for water.

Fear no allow am bench De gea to rest small sef.

Leyqute:


It doesn't matter if the starting XI is star studded. They're going to be clueless once they're inflicted with LvG's philosophy. I think that philosophy is the problem with Utd. How can a whole squad not understand one man's philosophy? for 2 years LvG is a goat. Eran iya osogbo.