The Manchester United manager, who is fast running out of time to save his job after losing to Southampton, gave a reporter a cheeky slap after a question involving Ashley Cole

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has courted yet more controversy after slapping a journalist at a press conference before seemingly jetting out of Manchester to return to the Netherlands over the weekend.

As reported by Goal, the Dutchman cancelled training on Sunday in the aftermath of the club's 1-0 Premier League defeat at home to Southampton, with players and coaches told not to come in for what had previously been a religiously routine post-match warm-down.

Before that, though, Van Gaal had already been showing signs of the pressure he is under when he reacted badly to a fairly innocent question on rumours linking United with a move for Ashley Cole.