A win in Germany shouldn't save Louis van Gaal's job

Later today, Manchester United will face off against Wolfsburg in a game that could decide its Champions League group phase fate. Win, and the Reds will progress to the next round as group winners. Lose or draw, and they could find themselves out of the competition altogether.

That United even finds themselves in this position, despite landing in a group that, on paper, should have been handily negotiated is a damning indictment of the state of Louis van Gaal’s team. The decision-makers have suitable confidence in van Gaal, so much so that they’ve let it be known the result in Germany will not affect his job security. And rightly so. Louis van Gaal should be sacked, whether United survives or not.

SEE MORE: I’ll quit if I lose the dressing room – Van Gaal

With all the usual caveats of beauty being in the eye of the beholder, not many fans of English soccer would argue against calling United the most boring team in the league. United lead the league in backward passes and have only scored seven goals in its last 10 games in all competitions. There have only been 14 goalless draws in the Premier League so far this season, and United has been involved in four of them.

Those numbers are shocking, but even they fail to tell the whole story. In the vast majority of United’s matches, the team has looked completely devoid of either ideas or confidence in attack. The failures of individual players are partly to blame — none more so than the United’s washed up senior striker and captain — but with 18 months of evidence now in the books, it’s hard not to believe that responsibility for the lack of excitement doesn’t lay with the manager.

Van Gaal has bemoaned the lack of balance in his selection, and he certainly has a valid point. Wayne Rooney is no longer an elite player, and Juan Mata aside, United’s other best attackers are kids. Injuries and a lack of depth in defense also mean the fullbacks are currently not able to contribute much to the attack, either. But it’s hard to feel sympathy for van Gaal’s lack of options when he is the one primarily responsible for the squad being as thin as it is in certain areas. Even worse, he has failed to get the most of the players that he does have. Van Gaal has spent the better part of £200 million in transfer fees so far, and while he has a much improved squad than the one he inherited, he has consistently managed to make it less than the sum of its parts.

Van Gaal’s various shortcomings as a manager are only compounded by the fact that he’s apparently too arrogant or stubborn to acknowledge them. When confronted with the possibility of supporter discontent earlier in the season, he dismissed it out of hand, citing the regular chants of “Louis van Gaal’s Red and White Army.” Confusing support for the team with an endorsement of his approach is a clear sign of a man who does not know his real mandate.

Now that the atmosphere at Old Trafford is bordering on mutinous and chants of “Attack, attack, attack!” can be heard on a regular basis, he still seems out of touch with the fans’ discontent. After yet another turgid 0-0 draw at the weekend, he surmised that the fans maybe “want more long balls.” Ironically, it is precisely the long ball option — in the form of van Gaal’s favorite in-game change of sending on Marouane Fellaini — that resulted in the loudest boos heard at Old Trafford for a long time. He quite simply does not get it.

SEE MORE: United intent on proving they can score goals at Wolfsburg.

Louis van Gaal was needed at Old Trafford at the time of his appointment, as much for his ability as a manager as for his force of personality. After the disaster of the first attempt at succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson with the ill-fated and outmatched David Moyes, the suits at United needed someone with van Gaal’s pedigree. He had the resume to command the respect from a squad that had grown unsettled, the self-belief to ship out most of the deadwood, and the ego to get the United faithful believing again. He did the dirty work of rebuilding a crumbling playing staff, and even restored some the aura that was lost in the aftermath of Ferguson’s retirement.

But that may be the limit of his usefulness, at least in the eyes of the fans. United’s owners may be content with what we now know van Gaal to be: a steadying if unspectacular force who will not likely embarrass the club in Europe, and who will keep the team in and around the top four. The fans on the other hand, want more than a more expensive Tony Pulis.

Those fans may be spoiled by success, but they have a right to expect to be entertained. And no matter his protestations, van Gaal has shown little inclination or ability to provide entertainment.

A win against Wolfsburg will keep van Gaal on track to meeting his goals for his second season. United may even find itself at the top of the Premier League this coming weekend. But none of that will change the fact that the style of play has been dire and uninspiring, or the fact that the squad is still performing below its potential.

Van Gaal has done a respectable job of building a platform for a successful team, but he’s done nothing to suggest that he can take this team any further. Win or lose, van Gaal should not be the manager of Manchester United for much longer.