Louis van Gaal was officially sacked moments after leading Manchester United to FA Cup glory over Crystal Palace. News of his demise leaked earlier in the day. Even beyond that, the narrative of Jose Mourinho replacing him had been persistent since December.
The rumors began once Chelsea axed the special one and United started dropping points with dull 0-0 draws.
In Van Gaal’s press sessions the media kept calling attention to his imminent demise, but the Dutchman remained steadfast that he wasn’t going anywhere.
That was only on the exterior, to the public view. On the inside, Van Gaal knew it was coming all along; reportedly.
Max Reckers, Van Gaal’s performance analyst at Old Trafford, claimed the manager’s backroom team had no problem with United’s move for Mourinho.
Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward did not tell the 65-year-old of United’s plans to replace him before the FA Cup final and the split is understood to have been amicable.
‘It’s always the case that those things can happen,’ Reckers told Sportsmail at Soccerex. ‘You have to be realistic in the football world.
‘The time before we were that name, so our shadow was over [David Moyes]. It’s all OK, it’s in the past. You have to live with the consequences.’
Van Gaal’s failure to deliver Champions League football was his undoing, coupled with troubling performances and a lack of goals.
So now the truth comes out; finally.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.
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