New manager to be confirmed next week - reports

Reports! Further reports! Slightly firmer reports than earlier today!

Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail, who is one of the more reliable of the Manchester football journos, has stated unequivocally that Louis van Gaal will be confirmed as United's new manager next week. The appointment will be announced following United's final home game of the season, against Hull City next Tuesday evening.

It appears that the small matter of his complete and total inexperience has outweighed the undeniable romantic appeal of Ryan Giggs — no jokes, please — while the impressive manner in which Real Madrid progressed to the Champions League final probably ensured Carlo Ancelotti wasn't going to be available this summer. Jurgen Klopp and Diego Simeone stayed at long odds for a reason.

What now for the Class of '92? Nobody seems to know. This Paul Hayward piece in the Telegraph is ... interesting, though now outdated and slightly incoherent. One thing is clear, however: there is a large and well-connected pro-Giggs bloc, which doesn't bode all that well for Van Gaal if things start going wrong. Might want to make him assistant, Louis. Worked well for the last bloke.

Anyway, interesting times. What with the small business of the World Cup coming up this summer, Van Gaal won't actually be able to begin the job until mid-July at the earliest. But don't worry, United fans, Edward Woodward's got this totally under control.