Van Gaal has emerged as a leading candidate in Australia's hunt for a new coach after the AFC Asian Cup.
Bigger Fish To Fry Than Newcastle?
Van Gaal has emerged as a leading candidate in Australia's hunt for a new coach after the AFC Asian Cup.
Graham Arnold will guide the team to the finals in South East Asia in the summer, but a list of top names has been linked with the post as the Socceroos prepare to attempt to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010.
Van Gaal, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995 and has also coached Barcelona and the Netherlands, was linked with the job by Melbourne's The Age newspaper just days after Football Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley returned from a fact-finding trip to Europe.
Former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Leo Beenhakker - who took Trinidad & Tobago to the World Cup finals last year - and ex-South Korea manager Dick Advocaat are among the men to have also been linked with the position.
NEWCASTLE UNITED FIXTURES
Thursday 15 March 2007 UEFA Cup
AZ Alkmaar v Newcastle 19.45
Sunday 18th March 2007
Charlton v Newcastle 15.00
Saturday 31st March 2007
Newcastle v Man City 15.00
Saturday 07th April 2007
Sheff Utd v Newcastle 15.00
Monday 09th April 2007
Newcastle v Arsenal 15.00