Ed Woodward rejected a chance to be rid of Louis van Gaal from Manchester United earlier this month

The end is nigh.

There is a firm feeling that there is very much an 'end of days' style feel  to Louis van Gaal's Manchester United reign at the moment. The Dutchman is preparing his side to face Chelsea this afternoon in the Premier League, but if he had had his way, he wouldn't even still be around after the club's miserable December. According to The Times this morning, the Dutchman was so embarrassed after the 2-1 loss to Norwich at Old Trafford earlier this month, that he had planned to leave his role. https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/681238545537863680 It's reported that van Gaal spoke to the board after the loss to the Canaries and indicated he would quit if they wanted him to, but also that he wished he could continue to be backed to lead the club out of its current crisis. It's understood that Ed Woodward talked the Dutchman around, but even his faith n the former Ajax coach is now shaken. Van Gaal raised the possibility of quitting after Saturday's 2-0 loss to Stoke, and if the club fail to  beat Chelsea, or they suffer a fifth loss in a row for the first time in 79 years, then he is likely to face the sack. Van Gaal has admitted that he is struggling to turn around the club's fortunes and does not know how to arrest their current slide down the table, despite a crisis meeting with the players on Sunday afternoon.