Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal insists he will not walk away from the Old Trafford job

Louis van Gaal has forced Manchester United’s board to make the final decision on his future by making clear that he will not resign.

The United manager, whose job is under threat after a run of only three wins in 13 matches, is continuing to insist that he can revive fortunes. He made a speech to his players at their Christmas lunch on Monday calling for unity ahead of a key run of fixtures, beginning at Stoke on Boxing Day.

Van Gaal is running out of time at Old Trafford

The former Holland coach declared over the weekend that he felt he still had the support of the players and the board, despite his team’s poor form, and retains belief that he can save his job, even though the odds are against him.

With Van Gaal determined to fight on, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and club owners the Glazer family must decide whether to sack the manager and face the prospect of making a compensation ­payment of around £10 million to terminate his contract.

The manager is scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to preview the trip to Stoke. He is set to lose his job if United lose either at the Britannia Stadium, or against Chelsea at Old Trafford next Monday.

United declined to comment on reports surfacing on Tuesday that Woodward was in a meeting in London to discuss the future of the manager, although the club’s board is continuing to consider its options.

Some reports had suggested that former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had been in discussions about the future of Van Gaal, but the Scot has not attended any such meetings nor would be expected to be part of any process to decide a successor. Jose Mourinho has made clear that he is keen to take charge if United decide on a change, while Pep Guardiola, the Bayern Munich coach, and Ryan Giggs, who is assistant manager, are also in contention.

Mourinho, a free agent after being sacked by Chelsea last Thursday, remains the leading candidate if Van Gaal were to leave, despite reservations from some United directors about his capacity to attract controversy.

However, his success in winning domestic titles in England, Spain, Italy and Portugal, in addition to lifting the Champions League title with Inter Milan in 2010, still makes him an attractive candidate for a club whose season is in danger of crumbling.

Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola could replace Van Gaal if United want to make a change  Photo: GETTY IMAGES

United’s 2-1 defeat at home against Norwich City on Saturday was their sixth successive match ­without a victory, dropping them to fifth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Leicester.

During that winless run, they were also eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage, and their poor domestic form has put at risk their chances of qualifying for next season’s elite competition.

The unadventurous style of play exhibited by Van Gaal’s team has also drawn criticism from a host of former United players, most ­notably Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand.

Mark Hughes, the former United striker who now manages their next opponents, Stoke, has suggested that the players at Old Trafford must shoulder responsibility for improving the club’s performances.

Hughes said: “More often than not, if you’ve got a strong squad of players, and leaders within that group, they can get themselves together, shake themselves out of it and do something about it.

“That’s what all Manchester United teams of the past have done and I would expect them to do it again.”