‘It’s over’ says Louis van Gaal as Jose Mourinho set for United job

Manager Louis van Gaal left Manchester United's team hotel declaring "It's over" on Sunday as reports indicated he was about to be replaced by Jose Mourinho.

The 64-year-old Dutchman was greeted by a number of waiting supporters of the club, on the morning after United’s FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace.

When asked by a Sky Sports News reporter if he would stop to speak, Van Gaal refused and said as he walked away: “It’s over.”

Given the brevity of the comment, it was not immediately clear whether that meant the former Netherlands manager had been told his time at United was at an end.

Mourinho refused to comment about the job when asked at ringside ahead of David Haye’s bout in London on Saturday night.

However the BBC reported within minutes of United being presented with the FA Cup that former Chelsea manager Mourinho would be appointed in the coming days.

If Mourinho does land the Old Trafford job, former United defender Phil Neville expects him to bring success, but only last for two to three years.

United finished fifth in the Premier League this season and missed out on qualifying for the Champions League, which made winning the FA Cup almost a consolation prize.

Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December after a miserable start to the season. Despite widespread success in his career, the Portuguese has never managed a club for longer than the three years and three months he spent at Chelsea in his first spell.

“I can’t see him staying too long at Man United, maybe two or three years, that seems to be his shelf life at a football club,” Neville told BBC Five Live’s Sportsweek programme.

“When Jose finishes at a club it tends to be a pattern where he falls out with a few players, he gets disgruntled and the team dips.

“It happened at Chelsea, it certainly happened at Real Madrid where there were rumours he fell out with a few players.

“It’s a pattern with Jose, he comes into a club, he gets success but he doesn’t stay for too long.”

Twenty-time English league champions United have failed to finish higher than fourth in any of the three seasons since Alex Ferguson retired.

Mourinho has a proven track record in England, having won the title three times with Chelsea, and Neville believes the former Madrid boss will already have a plan to achieve success again.

“He’s a proven winner, a proven champion. United fans want a team that will challenge for the league title, not a team that finishes seventh or fifth, and Jose is probably the man for the job,” Neville said.

“Knowing Jose as I do, I think he will have done his homework and he’s meticulous in his planning.

“Don’t be surprised if United in the next month, and particularly before the Euros, sign three or four players and when he gets to pre-season he has his squad already in place.

“He knows who he wants and at the start he will demand United sign those players for United to become championship challengers again.”