Louis van Gaal: no worry Pep Guardiola could replace me at Manchester United

• Guardiola wants to manage a Premier League club next season
• Van Gaal points out he has a contract at Manchester United until 2017

Posted Saturday, January 09, 2016 by theguardian.com

Louis van Gaal said of Pep Guardiola’s plans: ‘I’m at the end of my career so for me it’s not so interesting. For me it’s interesting how I take care of Manchester United.’

Louis van Gaal has claimed Pep Guardiola’s ambition to work in the Premier League next will have no impact on his position as Manchester United manager.

This week the Spaniard confirmed he will leave Bayern Munch in the close season to manage in England. Guardiola is viewed as one of the world’s finest coaches. United, Manchester City, and Chelsea would all consider him as a potential manager at some juncture.

Van Gaal has eased scrutiny on his job after the goalless draw with Chelsea and Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Swansea City, a first win in nine games. The Dutchman shrugged off the idea that Guardiola’s availability might affect him in the future.

"I’m at the end of my career, so for me it’s not so interesting. For me it’s interesting how I take care of Manchester United and after this season I still have one year to go," Van Gaal said of his three-year contract.

"He [Guardiola] wants to sniff the culture of England and I wanted that also. I think that it is very good he wants to do that and I didn’t think it will have an impact on his club. Every manager has that right to announce that. It’s not for sure he will be the manager of a Premier League club next season."

Adnan Januzaj has rejoined Van Gaal’s squad after cutting short a season-long loan at Borussia Dortmund that proved unsuccessful because of a lack of appearances.

"It’s more or less the same thing we have done with Will Keane," the manager said of a striker who returned from Preston at the end of last month following a temporary spell at the Lancashire club. "They are coming to us to ask for a second chance and Manchester United is a club that takes care of all our players and I think it’s a very good habit to have that.

"I believe in the talent of Adnan Januzaj. I said it would be very difficult to play matches in Dortmund and unfortunately I was right. But he could train here and maybe show talent in the first team. He has been tested already this morning, didn’t play so many 90-minute matches and has to show his fitness in the second team."

Januzaj may feature in Monday’s trip to Reading for the under-21s. "We have to wait and see if the papers are right. If he can play Monday in the second team he shall play in second team. He can show his quality."

Van Gaal denied that United’s displays against Chelsea and Swansea were more attacking. "I’m not agreeing with your analysis – we are playing always attacking football, only we have scored, that’s the big difference. That it shall give me confidence we have still to see that because one swallow doesn’t make a summer. I hope so.

"I see that also in the training sessions but you have to show it also at a certain time for 90 minutes and that’s why football is so amazing because you never know."