Odds say neither Van Gaal or Rooney are leaving Man Utd anytime soon

Louis van Gaal’s position as Manchester United manager may have come under more scrutiny following the club’s exit from the Champions League on Tuesday, but the odds suggest he is going nowhere just yet.

The Red Devils’ absence from the last-16 of the elite European competition for the third time in five years even saw some United supporters calling for a return of the much-maligned David Moyes in the hot-seat.

Tongue-in-cheek or not the Dutchman remains Ladbrokes’ fourth-favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave his job.

However, with the price of 3/1 on offer that he is relieved of his duties before the end of the season, the odds suggest that the Old Trafford hierarchy will give him the benefit of the doubt for the remainder of the campaign at least.

Van Gaal’s safety first approach had come in for criticism from many United fans, but results, which see them as real contenders for the Premier League title, have been his saving grace.

But now with a Europa League campaign, as opposed to a Champions League one on the cards, how much will the Stretford End put up with should the league form slip?

The Dutchman was his usual fiery self in his post-match press conference after their Wolfsburg defeat, and went as far as to say his team are in a better position than 12 months ago.

“We went further in the Capital One Cup, we qualified for the Champions League group [stage], we have played all of these matches and are still in a very good position in the league so the facts are saying that we are better than last year so that is my answer because I can only give facts,” he said.

One man who wasn’t present on the pitch in Germany, but has come under similar amounts of questioning as his manager in recent weeks is Wayne Rooney.

The club captain has scored just two Premier League goals this season, leading some to question whether the England man still has what it takes to lead the line at Old Trafford.

And while the goals have clearly been hard to come by for the club’s second highest all-time goalscorer, the betting suggests he will be hanging around at the Theatre of Dreams for a little while yet.

Ladbrokes make it a 7/2 chance that he swaps Manchester for pastures new in the summer, while it is 7/1 that he sensationally leaves the club in January.

While few will doubt that something needs to change to appease the unhappy United fans, but the odds say that those changes won’t be involving the side’s manager or captain anytime soon.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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