ManU against Chelsea has "often been a seminal fixture in deciding the destiny of the Premier League title," but Monday's clash at Old Trafford "has a very different backdrop," according to Ed Osmond of REUTERS. United has slipped to sixth in the standings following three successive defeats while Chelsea "languish in 15th place after a dismal start to the campaign" that brought about the dismissal of Manager Jose Mourinho last week. ManU Manager Louis van Gaal hinted after his team's "feeble 2-0 loss at Stoke City on Saturday" that he "could quit before being forced to relinquish the hot seat." The game against Chelsea, managed by his Dutch compatriot Guus Hiddink, "could well be his last." That Mourinho has been "strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford adds another intriguing sub-plot to the game" (REUTERS, 12/27). In London, Jason Burt reported when Van Gaal was asked whether he expected to remain in charge for the Chelsea match, "his response was hardly emphatic." He said, "Be there for Chelsea? You will have to wait and see. But I think so." Van Gaal revealed last week that he had received calls from ManU Exec Vice-Chair Ed Woodward and former Manager Alex Ferguson, as the questions over his future "have intensified." Asked what the trio had told him, Van Gaal responded, "I don't say it to you because it is not any of your business." Has he then "considered quitting?" He said, "That's also something what I don't have to say" (TELEGRAPH, 12/26).
