Manchester United: Louis van Gaal refers to his 'philosophy' and insists he has backing of Ed Woodward

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal insists he still has the support of the club's executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward.

With their season spiralling out control following a third straight defeat against Norwich City on 19 December, United and their manager now find themselves under unprecedented pressure, having dropped out of the top four.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Van Gaal now has just two games to save his job, with upcoming matches against Stoke City and Chelsea likely to decide his fate. Jose Mourinho, who was dismissed from his role at Chelsea on 17 December, is reportedly waiting in the wings if the Dutchman is given his marching orders.

Van Gaal admits the belief of his players has been "tested" but insists the dressing room is still unified. "Ed [Woodward] was very fast out of the dressing room but I feel that support, yes," he told reporters according to ESPN .

"The most important support is from the players because the players have to do it on the pitch and the chemistry between the players and the manager and his staff is very important.

"Of course the belief of the fans in the manager is also very important. Last year we had only 13 [points, after the first 10 games] and they believed in me. Now we are in a bad period, we have lost three matches in a row, and their belief has been tested."

After the 2-1 defeat to Norwich at Old Trafford, Van Gaal admitted he was concerned over his future at the club.

"I am always evaluating myself because that is an aspect of my philosophy," he said in his post-match press conference. "In the 25 years of management I evaluate myself every day. I am not the same coach of 25 years ago and I always evaluate. This is why I am, or maybe I now have to say was, a very successful manager.

"Yes I worry about my job because I know that belief in a manager is very important and when you lose the games, the belief in the manager will decrease. That is happening now. I cannot close my eyes to that."