World Cup Qualifier: I blame myself for failure - Van Gaal

Holland boss Louis van Gaal is under severe pressure after his side's 1-0 World Cup defeat to Ireland in Dublin.

At the very least he may have to share the role with a technical director which Holland are believed to be considering appointing.

The Dutch are not technically out of contention of qualifying from Group Two.

They could still finish above Portugal by a virtue of a shock set of results but it looks certain they will now miss out on a World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.

Van Gaal said: "Of course I blame myself for the failure because I am the man responsible for the national team, but when I look at the game again I don't know what to blame myself for.

"We started well, made two chances which we missed and in the end I thought we were unlucky. The pitch was wet overnight but dried out in the wind and didn't help our passing game.

"But we were guilty of following the Irish into a battle. At half time I told my boys not to do that but they kept looking for too many long balls."

Van Gaal, though, refused to hide behind the alibi of a denied penalty when Irish goalkeeper Shay Given appeared to bring down Ruud van Nistelrooy - just five minutes before Jason McAteer's goal.

He said: "Sometimes the referee blows his whistle, sometimes not. I think it is a cheap excuse to blame it on that."