Beckham urges United to give Van Gaal more time but also calls for Mourinho’s Premier League return
Former England skipper David Beckham believes under-fire boss Louis van Gaal should be given more time by his old club Manchester United but also wants to see Jose Mourinho back in the Premier League as soon as possible.
Van Gaal has overseen a turbulent campaign at Old Trafford which sees fifth-placed United currently six points adrift of the Premier League’s top four, having also suffered a Champions League group-stage exit in December.
That has led to speculation over the Dutchman’s future with ex-Chelsea manager Mourinho, who was axed from Stamford Bridge before Christmas, heavily linked to succeeding Van Gaal.
“With who we’ve got at United now, he [Van Gaal] is an experienced manager with a great reputation in the game. Sometimes it takes time,” said Beckham. “It’s not easy being the manager at a club like Manchester United.
“But at the end of the day we have to look at results, the way we play, listen to the fans, the people around the club and I only hear great things about him as a person, a manager and a coach and that’s all I can talk about.
“He’s the manager of Manchester United so there’s always going to be speculation, there’s always going to be criticism but the most important thing is at the end of the season. Let’s see what happens then.”
The pressure on Van Gaal eased slightly with Monday’s FA Cup fifth-round victory over Shrewsbury Town, although the spectre of Mourinho, a manager Beckham rates highly, remains an almost constant presence.
“Jose leaving Chelsea, who would have expected that after the season they had last year?,” added Beckham. “But it doesn’t make him a bad manager. He’s still one of the best managers and I hope he comes back to the Premier League as soon as possible.”