Manchester United: Louis van Gaal reveals apprehension about future following Jose Mourinho sack

Louis van Gaal has revealed that he is wary of the prospect of being sacked before the end of the season, an incident which would be very unwelcome for a manager with the experience that he commands. Jose Mourinho's sacking earlier in the week has put out a statement for managers who are not performing to their potential, stating that no man is safe irrespective of the results he has previously produced.

Mourinho has won the Champions league twice, with Porto and Inter Milan, while winning the league in four different continents, something no other manager in world football has ever done before. Fresh from his third league win last season with Chelsea, the Portuguese man was in for a torrid time this time around, when he saw his team languish at the bottom half of the table, in 16th spot and only a point above the relegation zone.

Roman Abramovich had given Mourinho enough time to rectify his mistakes, coming out in support of the manager on the club website, but the results did not improve, with their 2-1 loss to Leicester City on 14 December being the final nail in the coffin. Van Gaal's position is much stronger than Mourinho's at this point, with his side safely cushioned in fourth spot, only six points behind leaders Leicester.

However, failure to win in any of their last five games in all competitions and eviction from the group stages of the Champions League has had a lot of tongues wagging over his long-term future.

"I don't want to finish my career with the club sacking me," Van Gaal said, as quoted by the Guardian, ahead of their game against Norwich City. "That would be a great disappointment for me to say goodbye to the football world by being fired. I think my honour is much more pressure for me than the pressure of the media and the fans."

He reposed faith in the management to take the right call regarding his future but acknowledged that they have to keep winning in order for the trust to hold through the length of the season.

"I have the full confidence of my board and players, that is what I feel. But we have to get results, we have to win. We know that, the players know that, I know that and the members of staff know that. There is no doubt that we have to win because when you lose too much then even for me it is the end of the world."