The National's Sport cover for the Tuesday, December 29 issue, featuring Manchester United and Chelsea as they battled in a spirited goalless draw.
Andy Mitten writes a spark finally seeming to alight from within the current United side – and possibly giving Louis van Gaal a second life to his managerial tenure:
“Statistics show that Manchester United drew a home match 0-0 for the sixth time this season and that the team are four points off fourth position and nine off the top of a league they led a month ago, but fans left in a happier mood than they’d arrived, when talk of Van Gaal being dismissed dominated.
“He’s convinced he’s staying at manager and after a draw which gave him reason to be positive, he appears right.”
Richard Jolly, meanwhile, notes that, "it was a goalless game where United nonetheless showed signs of life.
“If they had played with such verve more often, Van Gaal’s position would not be in peril. It was not enough to pronounce that a recovery is underway, but not was it a performance that will compel the board to wield the axe.”
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