Manchester United beat Derby County 3-1 in the FA Cup, giving manager Louis van Gaal another temporary reprieve from being hounded about his job security.
In his post-match press conference, he revealed that Man United CEO Ed Woodward buys him expensive bottles of wine after big wins.
From the Guardian:
Van Gaal was clear how he will celebrate: by enjoying a bottle of wine Woodward gave him after the 1-0 win at Liverpool two weekends ago. “I come back and my wife is at home because she was in the Netherlands, and the wine is already open,” he said.
“We drink a nice bottle of wine, probably the most expensive wine, because I have received that from Ed Woodward. I always get expensive wine when we beat an opponent of the [traditional] top six. I don’t want to mention the name because it is a little bit extravagant.”
Though Van Gaal’s overall record isn’t all that impressive, this arrangement has actually cost Woodward a bit of money since the Dutchman has an exceptional record against the Premier League’s biggest clubs.
Van Gaal’s record vs. the top six since August 2014. #MUFC #GGMU pic.twitter.com/EPXhkgymWl
— Pete Quinn (@CoachPeteQuinn) January 19, 2016
You can look at this in two ways. 1) This is just another example of Ed Woodward overpaying. 2) If he just promises Van Gaal an expensive bottle of wine for any win, regardless of the opponent, Man United might win the title this season.