I WASN'T surprised when Jurgen Klopp was installed as the favourite to succeed David Moyes as Manchester United's manager this summer.

But I also suspected United would be very lucky to lure Klopp away from Borussia Dortmund, so it was no shock when he ruled himself out of the running yesterday.

I am not sure the Barclays Premier League in England is where the German coach sees his future - his immediate future anyway - lying.

He is still relatively young for a manager, just 46. And he is contracted to his Bundesliga club until 2018.

Klopp took over at Dortmund when they - much like Rangers at the moment - were experiencing massive financial difficulties.

He took them to the position of strength they are in now. He is, then, very much the King of the Westfalenstadion. He has the power to call the shots there. He was never going to give that up easily.

When his contract expires in four years' time, I can see him possibly moving on to another club, another country and another challenge. But not before.

Other managers who have been linked with the United post are Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone. But they are, respectively, employed at Real Madrid, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.

NOW Louis van Gaal has emerged as the front runner. He will quit as manager of the Netherlands after the World Cup and does not have a club job lined up.

Having had to pay substantial compensation to Moyes - he was contracted to United for another five years - the fact Van Gaal can be secured for nothing will appeal to the Glazer family.

And the Dutchman would not be daunted by the prospect of managing at a major club like Manchester United.

He has been around the block a few times. He has been in charge of massive outfits such as Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and would cope with the pressure and scrutiny of the role.

I don't know if - as some have suggested - the job was too big for David Moyes. But it will certainly not be too big for van Gaal.

The 62-year-old has - from when he became a coach at his former club, AZ Alkmaar, back in the 1980s - been a single-minded individual.

He has always said: "I will do it my way."

He lays out a system and style of play his personnel have to adapt to.

He is not dictated to by the players. That has served him well over the years.

Ryan Giggs is set to take over as interim manager until the end of the season and has a chance to stake a claim for the post. But I would be surprised if somebody who had never managed before was appointed.

I was sorry to learn Sir Alex Ferguson's successor and fellow Scot Moyes had parted company with United.

He took over at the wrong time. He inherited an ageing squad that was in decline and struggled to secure most of his signing targets last summer.

He did not enjoy much luck. I would have liked to have seen him given another transfer window to turn things around. But modern football at the highest level is a cruel game.

As whoever takes over - whether it is van Gaal or somebody else - will find, failure to qualify for the Champions League is unacceptable at a club like Manchester United.