Louis van Gaal’s job uncertain after title flop

Louis van Gaal claims it was unrealistic to expect Manchester United to win the Premier League and admits his job security is uncertain heading into the final game of the season.

United can still qualify for the Champions League with a top four finish, but only if fourth placed Manchester City fail to collect a point at Swansea and van Gaal’s fifth placed team beat Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Defeat at West Ham in midweek took the chase for fourth place out of United’s hands and left them facing the prospect of a season out of Europe’s top tier competition.

But, frustrated by United’s long injury list, van Gaal feels their run to next week’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace and involvement in the battle for a European berth should be enough to keep him in his job for the third and final year of his contract.

“We can win the FA Cup,” said van Gaal. “How many are still in the race

“It’s not so many, so of course if we don’t qualify ourselves, then we haven’t reached our aim.

“That is true because our aim was to qualify, but we are in the final of the FA Cup and we are in the race in the last match — mathematically, we can qualify ourselves still.

“How many teams can say that Not many. Of course you can say Manchester United need to be champions.

“Yes, I know the expectations are like that but I don’t think that is realistic. And I have said I shall be here, that is my opinion, so the board has to decide if it is like that. That is a different way of looking to the situation.”

Van Gaal’s claim that hopes of a United title success are unrealistic ring somewhat hollow in a season in which low-spending Leicester have won the league with comparative ease. But there have been few indications from within the United hierarchy over the identity of their manager next season amid speculation Jose Mourinho could be set to take charge.

On Friday, executive vice chairman Ed Woodward spoke with investors on a telephone conference call and failed to mention van Gaal or his fate even once.

However, consensus has grown that should van Gaal finish fourth, and lead United to their first FA Cup success since 2004, that will be sufficient to keep him in the job, not that the manager himself wished to talk about the hypothetical possibilities of his situation.

Ranieri relishes triumphant return to Chelsea Claudio Ranieri’s Prem-ier League story comes full circle on Sunday as he returns in triumph to Chelsea for the final fixture of title-winners Leicester City’s momentous and historic season.

Ranieri’s sacking by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in May 2004 set in motion a succession of managerial posts — at Valencia, Parma, Juventus, Roma, Inter Milan, Monaco and the Greek national team — that seemed to confirm his reputation as one of football’s eternal nearly men.

But Leicester’s 5,000-1 success has earned him sporting immortality and when he return to the Stamford Bridge touchline, the 64-year-old Italian will do so as a hero.

Fixtures Sunday: Arsenal vs Aston Villa, Chelsea vs Leicester, Everton vs Norwich, Man United vs Bournemouth, Newcastle vs Tottenham, Southampton vs Crystal Palace, Stoke vs West Ham, Swansea vs Man City, Watford vs Sunderland, West Brom vs Liverpool