Wolfsburg vs Manchester United: Louis van Gaal 'under severe pressure' as Michael Owen admits he could be sacked

Owen claimed that a team made up of the players Van Gaal has let leave Old Trafford would have beaten the United side deployed last night

Michael Owen believes Louis van Gaal is under 'severe pressure' at Manchester United (BT Sport)

Michael Owen joined the growing wave of criticism of Manchester United under Louis van Gaal after watching his former side crash out of the Champions League following a 3-2 defeat by Wolfsburg.

United were unable to match or better PSV Eindhoven’s result in Group D, meaning they missed out on qualification for the last-16 and will instead face a campaign in the Europa League knockout stages.

Van Gaal has been heavily criticised for his dull style of football so far this season, but while United improved in front of goal and scored twice through Anthony Martial and a Josuha Guilavogui own-goal, their depleted defence unusually conceded three times.

Speaking in the BT Sport studio, former United striker Owen analysed the side not just on the night but over the course of Van Gaal’s 18-month reign at Old Trafford, and his verdict revealed that the Dutchman has not been good enough given he has spent over £250m in the transfer market.

“I don’t look at it and just think of tonight, I don’t look at it and think just this season, I look at the 18 months that Louis van Gaal has been in charge and the £250m spent,” Owen explained.

“They weren’t in Europe last season, so he had all the focus on the Premier League and the cups. They got stuffed by MK Dons 4-0, they got knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal and they scrambled into fourth.

“Manchester United are fourth in the league, this season they’ve been knocked out by Middlesbrough in the League Cup, they’ve been knocked out in one of the easier groups of the Champions League and they’re playing poorly week in, week out.

“It’s not just now, it’s 18 months of [being] below par with all that money.”

BT Sport presenter Gary Lineker asked Owen whether he is suggesting that Van Gaal deserved to be sacked, to which his reply was: “I think he’s under severe pressure now.”

Summer signings Martial, Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian and Bastian Schweinsteiger all started the match, but there have been questions over their form this season and the Germany midfielder was especially disappointing last night.

Owen highlighted that a number of players that Van Gaal has let go over the past year and a half could get into the current side, and believed that a team made up of United departures would actually beat the one Van Gaal deployed at the Volkswagen Stadium.

"This is a worse squad now,” said Owen. “The players Louis van Gaal has let go would beat tonight's team.

"Rafael, Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans, Patrice Evra, Nani, Shinji Kagawa, Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez, Adnan Januzaj and Danny Welbeck would all get in to that side.”