Leicester City Have Provided Every Reason Why Louis Van Gaal Must Go At Manchester United

The ever-fluctuating rumors on the fate of Louis van Gaal are swinging back in the Dutchman’s favor lately. According to recent reports, decision-man Ed Woodward favors letting van Gaal see out his contract, putting forth an unrealistic request that Jose Mourinho go on holiday for a year and wait for the position to open up in 2017. Others suggest the team is bending over backwards by only requiring van Gaal either finish fourth (now very unlikely) and win the FA Cup.

Even if van Gaal does end up going, despite all efforts to lower the bar, he’ll take with him a pocket full of excuses. The squad was light due to injuries. The journalists don’t like him. The team is improving (provided you squint just right).

But no matter how much Woodward, van Gaal and the Manchester United board of directors may want to excuse the man in charge, Leicester City have inadvertently proven the lie to every one of their grumbles and rationalizations. You don’t need riches, you don’t need innumerable seasons, and you don’t need a grumpy, demanding philosopher to win. Because Leicester did without all of them, and they’ve beaten the ever-rebuilding United to the title.

The budget for Leicester’s team was less than a third of United’s this season. Though names like Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante are now household, they were mostly unknowns before this season kicked off. While United were piling millions on for Memphis Depay, Marcos Rojo and Angel di Maria and promising millions more for players who would never arrive, the Foxes saw potential and grabbed it cheap over the last few transfer windows.

And that talent under the light, brilliant touch of Claudio Ranieri was more than enough to jog into the title within a year. Ranieri is everything van Gaal is not: fun and humble and lovable, even to journalists. While the latter was brought in with a now obviously inflated resume, the former has proved his was clearly under-respected before this season.

With a massive bill for underperforming players and an unlikable man in Sir Alex Ferguson’s old chair, it would be no wonder at all if every Red Devil casts a little evil eye down Leicester’s way. But that’s not the case, chiefly because Leicester are just so likable. Passionate, dedicated, fun. In short, the Foxes are what United has always fancied itself, or at least used to fancy itself before dour van Gaal showed up.

Now, it is a coin flip whether United shows up to play or jogs to another underperformance, all while the manager blames “sex-masochism” hair tugs. The only certainty is that it won’t be much fun to watch.

But for all that, for all the obvious shortcomings, van Gaal may yet get his final season. The awkward uncertainty revolving around Mourinho may yet be dispelled as only a bit of playful courting that comes to nothing. Under Woodward’s eye, the Red Devils seem determined to sink into mediocrity, no matter how much it costs.

If United doesn’t sort this situation out soon, it won’t be earning comparisons to charmers and victors like Leicester next season. Instead, it will be compared to another once-great team’s fortunes: Liverpool.